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Home > Old neighbor thinks all money isnt green??

Old neighbor thinks all money isnt green??

November 29th, 2007 at 06:15 pm

It looks like the last vacant house is about to be rented. The family that has been looking at it, I have not met--however my parents have showed them the house twice now. I have spoken to them on the phone and they seem pleasant enough. I just spoke to the woman, and found out I know her soon to be mother in law--she was a former teacher of mine,and I will add one of the best teachers I have ever had.

Now, about 5 minutes ago, the old bat (and yes--that IS a nice term for her) that lives catty cornered from our rental house has called all beduzzled because the family is "of color". So, without thinking, when she tells me that, I rudely blurt back--"oh my gosh--I forgot they don't use GREEN money". She says "huh"? So I told her, I don't care what color the people are, as long as they take good care of the house and pay me on time. Then I pretty well told her she was out of line. Then she tells me that years ago, "people like that" robbed her fathers store--(like in 1937...) So, there are no white robbers???? She really ticked me off, but now I feel almost sorry for her. She is probably in her early 90's. I think its so sad that she can be that judgemental of a person she has never met based on what they look like.
It will be the lady her children for now, then in a few months her will be then husband. She is also a teacher-almost 40 who is working on her masters degree. The man she is marrying has an older sister that was a year ahead of me in school, and his mom was one of my jr high teachers, and his uncle my math teacher and his other uncle my 5th grade art and band teacher.
I am giving them a break on the first months rent, and they are going to finish some painting I started and never finished. Her future husband is a professional painter.

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments »

7 Responses to “Old neighbor thinks all money isnt green??”

  1. mbkonef Says:
    November 29th, 2007 at 06:50 pm 1196362202
    1196362202

    It is sad that the "old bat" to use your term feels this way. My grandfather (born in the late 1890's) was very prejudiced for the majority of his life. Fortunately, he did not pass that trait on to his children. For the last couple of years before he died he was living in an assisted living facility. He had one of "those people" to use his terms caring for him for the last year or so of his life and actually got along really well with her. We were all pleasantly shocked. I think is was because she stood up to him and told him she would not take any of his nonsense. Hopefully the new neighbors can similarly change this woman's twisted perceptions.

  2. madhaus Says:
    November 29th, 2007 at 08:12 pm 1196367178
    1196367178


    I want to ask you if you live in the western suburbs of Chicago?! We rented our house (six blocks from our current home) to a single college educated African American mother with three children. (Her goal for moving out of the city was better schools) She can pay the rent and isn't trouble. Unfortantely we have been snubbed by our old neighbors for "integrating" the neighborhood. And I found out when the old couple who snubbed us moved here forty years ago, he wanted to make sure there were no Jews in the area. This man goes to a Catholic Church ...

  3. scfr Says:
    November 29th, 2007 at 09:05 pm 1196370343
    1196370343

    Oh my ... So sad ... I'm with you in that I feel a bit sorry for that old bat; she has probably missed out on getting to know some wonderful people who came in to her life simply because she was so judgmental.

  4. mom-from-missouri Says:
    November 29th, 2007 at 09:33 pm 1196371994
    1196371994

    No, the house is in Missouri. I just hope she doesn't stir up trouble with them.
    What a boring world if God had made us all the same...

  5. mackybethsmommy Says:
    November 30th, 2007 at 12:51 am 1196383890
    1196383890

    I live in North Carolina and run into this almost daily at work. I have the same stand point as you with my customers and have actually had to have meetings with my employees about treating customers and other employees of different races badly. I used the same line you did except I said "I don't give a damn if they are purple with green polka dots, their money is GREEN and everyone who comes in here and works here deserves respect and to be treated with dignity. If you can't handle that the door is at the front of the store." I actually had one girl walk out. Good riddance. Unfortunately there will always be people like that, luckily we can teach our children that everyone looks the same on the inside.

  6. DebbieL Says:
    November 30th, 2007 at 06:31 pm 1196447469
    1196447469

    Kind of reminds me of the story about Groucho Marx (one of the wittiest men who ever lived I think). He was visiting a country club with his little girl. They were told they couldn’t go into the pool because they were Jewish, so Groucho says, “Can my daughter wade in up to her knees – she’s only half Jewish?” It’s hard for me to believe this kind of prejudice still exists (although realistically I know it does – sad).

  7. baselle Says:
    December 2nd, 2007 at 12:04 am 1196553889
    1196553889

    Sad. None of us are transparent - we are all "of color". I'll say something wicked now: you have to hope that when the "old bat" dies that she hasn't passed that view on.

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