Stereotyped

Last night Fonzy and I went to the marriage ministry in our church. The marriage ministry are the married couples in our church who get together once a month to discuss marriage, families, the trials we go through, but also the blessings. Fonzy and I have not participated in a while, but have decided to participate more. It is great to see we are not unique in some of the struggles we have within our marriage/family and it's good to hear other's perspectives. The conversation was so good, we didn't head home until sometime after 11:00pm.

On our way to pick up the boys, we stopped at a gas station. When we pulled up to the pump, at about 11:30pm, two young African American boys walked into the store. I sat in the truck as Fonzy pumped the gas. Once he's done, he decides to go inside the convenience store to grab something to drink. While in the store, another young AA boy walks past the truck into the truck. I'm sitting in the truck, watching the young boys inside the store standing around and all I can think about is one of them pulling out a gun and Fonzy getting shot. I was in the truck praying Fonzy would hurry up before something happened. I even pulled out my cellphone and punched in 911, and hurriedly closed the phone before it dialed on it's own or something. But I was really scared. I had even locked the doors to the truck when I saw the third boy walk across the parking lot. And as I was sitting there, stereotyping these young boys, who I might add, look no different from my husband and two older boys, I felt kinda bad. Here I was, thinking these boys were nothing but thugs, when they could of been the sweetest boys on earth. But I chose to believe the hype of what I see on TV. When Fonzy got into the truck, I told him what I had felt sitting there in the truck, thinking he was going to get shot, and even dialing 911, when he said I needed to stop acting so crazy. He said when he walked in the store, he told the boys, "What's up" in greeting and they were fine. He said that's what's wrong today, everybody stereotyping all young AA men. He said if you treat them with respect, you will see that they are really not as bad as what the media portrays. I felt so ashamed that here I am married to a black man, have young minority sons, am a minority myself and I'm perpetrating the same stereotypes.

....hanging my head in shame......