I have a strange family. From my mother all the way to my grandfather, everyone is somehow always trying to pick on me, or one way or another trying to get the air out of me. Lately, I’ve noticed that even non-related Iranians who I come across here and there are looking to pick on me – mainly, looking for any weaknesses that they could find in order to tell me somehow that I’m a “nobody” or nothing special. I’m old and educated enough to know that the root of all these comes down to jealousy – the mother of all the toxicity. But I one thing I don’t know. I don’t know how to react to these folks and the whole situation properly.
When I think about myself, I know deep down that I’m not a bad person. I’m an idealist and love to help people in any shape or form that I can. I never pick on anybody nor have I ever been condescending toward anyone. I don’t make fun of people nor I have ever been a snout nose to anyone, so why people who I love [my family] or Iranians who I meet somehow looking to cut me down, belittle me and all?
The other day after work, I stopped by my neighborhood Iranian grocery store to buy some grocery. While I was going about my business, there were two Iranians standing beside me. So one turns to the other:
“Hassan, if you save your dollar bills, one day you gonna look like him.”
I gather he was intimated by the suit that I was wearing. I looked at him and he had a mocking way of smiling at me. I did my shopping and waited in line to pay for it at the cash. When I got there, I asked the cashier politely to give me a pack of cigarettes too while I’m counting my money to pay for everything. The cashier, immediately with a condescending tone tried to make a mockery out of me by saying:
“Why are you dressed up? Are you going to a wedding or something? Ha ha ha ha…” [I don’t even know this person!]
I didn’t say anything and waited for him to pass me my cigarettes. He handed me the pack and started lecturing me about how hazardless smoking is by saying:
“Even though I advertized that I’m selling the cigarettes cheaper than any other store around here, it doesn’t mean you should smoke…and next time don’t park your car in front of the store, you gonna get a ticket.”
I came out of store wondering what’s wrong with where I parked my car. Plus, what’s wrong with the way I dressed. It’s just a suit. And I wear it because at work I can’t wear a pajama.
Feeling sad and bummed out, I came home and thought to myself…I know there is no way of pleasing everyone in this life, but why is this happening to me where ever I’m dealing with my family and the Iranians that I come across? Nobody else seems to give a damn how I look like or what kind of car I drive. So why is that, and how should I deal with it?
Thank you all for listening…
