It Don’t Matter If You’re Black Or White

(I’m a rough-looking guy with a full beard. I’m not really athletic, but quite built and sturdy looking. I was quite troubled when I was a kid and teenager. I fought through it, along with coming out as a young adult, so I ended up with high self-esteem and confidence in later years as a result. I work at a small electronic store outlet. I’m standing at a register when my manager comes over to me. He is helping two clients in the MP3 player section: a woman and a young teenage kid. We’re the only four people in the store at the time.)

Manager: “[My Name], do you know these people?”

Me: *looks over* “No, never seen them before.”

Manager: “Weird. The kid has a question he wants to ask you.”

Me: “There’s something you don’t know about a product?”

Manager: “You misunderstood… He wants to ask you.”

Me: “Me? What?”

Manager: “Yeah, erm… Well, her mother was asking all the right questions and I was making a sale, which was for the kid. The kid was looking at your direction for almost the whole exchange. Out of nowhere he said to his mother that he had a question for you — and only for you — before she could buy the iPod for him.”

Me: “What? Why?”

Manager: “We don’t know. Her mom tried to prod him further, but he’s adamant and only wants to ask you personally.”

Me: “Really?”

Manager: *shrugs* “Can you…?”

Me: “Yeah, sure. No problem.”

(I approach them and the mother is looking at me like a statue, not knowing what her son is cooking up.)

Me: “Hi, you had a question or wanted to talk to me?”

Boy: “Can we speak in private?”

Me: “Huh, it’s not a big store. Maybe we could lower our voices?”

Boy: *looking shy, speaks quietly, barely looking higher than my shoulders* “It’s… I don’t know if I should ask.”

Me: *quickly glancing at his mother, I gather from her I’m allowed to prod further* “Well, you’re lucky, because we’re alone in the store. Even if it’s personal or silly, I promise I won’t make fun of you and I will take your question seriously. Do you want us or your mom to walk to the other side of the store?”

Boy: “No, it’s okay. I want… Well, I…” *sigh* “Do you think if I take a white iPod over a black iPod, it would make me look less manly? Is white for girls?”

(I look at the mother and her gaping mouth matches my surprise. As I gather my thoughts, I figured he has judged me on appearance.)

Me: “Um, I think I get it. Let me tell you something I was told when I was a bit older than you are: ‘If what you wear defines your virility, then you weren’t very manly to begin with.’ If the color of your iPod defines how manly you are, you weren’t very virile to begin with. You could wear a pink dress and still be the manliest thing in the room if you acted like it… That good for you?”

Boy: *popping a smile and giggling* “Okay.”

Mother: *stabbing at the boy’s sides with her finger* “What do we say for the awesome personal advice from a stranger?”

Boy: “Oh, heh. Thanks.”

(I didn’t feel that comfortable finishing the sale with them so I left it to my manager, who sold a white iPod.)