Day Twenty One

Ivory Magazine

It was pretty dead in the store so I decided to do something we're not allowed to do as cashiers, read magazines. I flipped through D Magazine, a magazine about Dallas/Fort Worth life. The cover looked like this:

I began to flip through the pages. It was looking pretty...well, "Caucasian." I kept turning pages one by one and I made it through the entire magazine (two hundred-something pages) to see only nine people of color. NINE, out of hundreds of pictures. Hundreds! I have lived in the Dallas area all of my life. If you spend 2 minutes in the store I work for, or anywhere in Dallas, you would see at least ten different cultures. Does this magazine mean to say that the best suburbs only have white people in them? I was appalled. I started a conversation with every customer who flipped through this magazine while waiting in line. My customers, all of whom were disappointed, volunteered more appropriate titles for the feature. Some highlights:

"White People, Look No Further!"
"How to Be Brown Free"
"Ivory Magazine: An Ebony Magazine Affiliate"
"We All Have One Black Friend"
"Sunburnt? You're In Great Company!"


One woman actually bought the magazine, saying she is a realtor. She was Asian. The magazine did have hundreds of photos of realtors, white realtors, some posed standing in unaffordable homes. We discussed how there are so many realtors of different races in DFW, that this month's D magazine was a shame. I thought about tossing all of those magazines away. Of course I would get in big trouble so I didn't do it. Trouble is for when I turn in my two week notice. Thankfully not many of this month's D Magazine sold in my store while I was working. The best part of all? All of the babies in the cover photo are crying angrily.

Update: Elvira

Elvira walked by me before the start of her shift. She was smiling. Smiling!! During my shift I would catch her singing little nonsense wordless songs. Usually I only find that to be cute when little kids do that but considering how Elvira used to be around me, I found her hums to be delightful. I reminded myself that I need to find a good tofu recipe for her. It looks like Elvira has ended up not being so bad.

Update: Cute Guy, Maybe (Not Really)

Cute Guy was listening to a conversation I had with a customer who was trying to use the credit card reader.

ME: Scan the card there.
CUSTOMER: It's not working.
ME: Try swiping upwards.
CUSTOMER: [swipes upward] Okay that worked.
ME: You just canceled. Did you hit the red button? If you want it to be a credit transaction you have to hit the green button. Try swiping again.
CUSTOMER: [swipes card upward again] Okay. It says, 'Is $26.30 okay?' What if I don't think it's okay?
ME: [I laugh] Then you can't have your groceries.
CUSTOMER: [tries to prod the 'OK' screen button with his finger, which doesn't work]
ME:  Sir, you have to use the electronic pen.
CUSTOMER: Oh, geez. Okay. [Uses pen to hit 'OK' button]
ME: Please sign on the screen.
CUSTOMER: So many questions.
ME: Now enter your last five addresses.
CUTE GUY: Then do a retinal scan.
ME: Next we'll draw your blood.
CUTE GUY: Criminal background check.
ME: [The receipt prints out and I hand it to the customer, who laughs] Sorry, our card reader is a pain. I wish we could take a hammer to it. I think I'll do that on my last day, Office Space style.

Cute Guy then told me about how he had an ex-girlfriend who's house had no key entry, but each door had a thumbprint scanner. Crazy. So I'm getting little stories here and there from Cute Guy. I'm glad he feels more comfortable talking to me. We're getting along!

Update: Heartless Lucy

Lucy always wears her hair straight. He hair is naturally curly and she doesn't really have the art of straightening her hair down so her hair doesn't look too good most days. Today she let it be curly. It looked nice and I complimented her. She had been surveying all of our coworkers in the store. All of the girls liked it curly and the guys liked it straight. She thought her curls were frizzy and she didn't really like it. I tried to give her tips but I think anything I said fell on deaf ears.

I tried my best to be cordial with Lucy. I still disliked her for how irresponsible she was being about her dog. I asked about the pup and she said she almost found an owner but it fell through. I offered to help find a foster parent for it, someone to help train the dog so that it has a better chance of being adopted. She refused the help and was getting a little irritated about it. She hates this dog and someone wants to help but she didn't want to bother anyone with it. Lucy thinks she inconveniences everyone. That's the vibe I get. I want to shake her really hard and slap her across the face. That poor dog. I wish I could break into her house and save it. She would probably end up feeling relieved that the dog is off her hands but I would also probably end up getting arrested.