(This is a favorite story in my family, originally told to me by my cousin. One night she goes out to dinner with her husband and their very young daughter; the little girl knows the alphabet, but she hasn’t learned to read yet. They’ve been to this restaurant before and my cousin’s daughter knows that they serve a special cherry soda drink called a Shirley Temple, so she immediately asks her mom if she can get one. My cousin agrees to get the soda for her daughter as a special treat, but decides to ask for it without the cherry — they usually get it this way since she knows her daughter will end up making a mess if she tries to fish the cherry out of the drink. But, she doesn’t want to disappoint the little girl, so she doesn’t mention this part, thinking she won’t know that the drink is supposed to come with a cherry so she won’t miss it.)

Waiter: “And what can I get for you to drink tonight?”

Cousin: “Well my daughter would like a Shirley Temple, but can we please get it without the C-H-E-R-R-Y?”

Cousin’s daughter: “But Mom! I WANT the A-B-C-D!”

(Everyone laughs, and my cousin’s daughter ends up getting the drink with the cherry anyways, as a reward for being so cute and clever. All along she didn’t know what they had been taking about, she just knew she didn’t want to miss out on anything! To her credit, over the years she has continued to go after the things she wants in life, and these days she is working on her law degree.)

[I am Indigenous but can pass for white. I have a friend-since-childhood who is obviously black: at the time of this story (2015), we’re both pushing 40. Since my friend’s dad has been a huge Green Bay Packers fan since birth, my friend has the name Boyd, after the great Packer hero Boyd Dowler.]

[I am meeting Boyd at the cafe one Saturday to hang out. He’s already there when I arrive, so I get my snack and beverage and walk over to his table. I set them down and then effusively high-five my friend.]

Me: “Heya, Boyd! Good to see you again!”

Boyd: “Same! How ya been?”

Me: “Oh, you know –”

[We’re interrupted by one of the baristas, who is scowling at me.]

Barista: “You racist [expletive!] How dare you?”

Me: “What?”

Barista: “Don’t play innocent! You know what you did! Now get out before I have you banned!”

Me: “I have no idea –”

Barista [interrupting]: “Calling this gentleman `BOY’! Don’t you know how demeaning that is?”

[Boyd gently grabs the barista’s arm, to get her attention. She turns to face him. He pulls out his ID and she looks at his name.]

Barista: “Oh.”

Boyd: “This man is one of my best friends and is hardly a racist. Now, can we eat and talk in peace?”

[The barista blushes violently, nods, and heads back behind the counter. Boyd and I decided not to report her: after all, her heart was in the right place. We frequented that cafe until they had to shut down due to a certain pandemic, and the barista was always particularly nice to Boyd.]

(I love seeing kids while I’m at work and at times I’ll ask them if they’re helping out their adult with the shopping. This exchange happened with a mother and daughter during Ramadan.)

Me: “Hi! You finding everything okay?”

Customer: “I am, thanks.”

Me: *glances to the little girl in the mother’s cart* “Are you helping out today?”

(The girl doesn’t answer, but the mother does.)

Customer: “No, she’s fasting.”

(I’m still confused three years later.)

Me: [Veterinary Clinic], [My Name] speaking.
Client: Hello, I’d make to make an appointment for my dog.
Me: Okay, my next appointments are on Tuesday the 19th.
Client: What day is that?
Me: Tuesday the 19th.
Client: Yes, but what day?
Me: … It’s a Tuesday.

My coworker just about killed herself laughing, listening to my side of the phone call. The call when smoothly after that.

I work at a popular coffee chain that uses a rewards account linked to a phone number. At the drivethru, we ask for the phone number, and then the name of the person the account is under will pop up. I’m a huge movie score fan, and that day, I’m wearing a shirt with John Williams on it.

Me: Hi, thank you for coming to [Coffee Shop], do you have a rewards account with us?

Customer: Yeah, [number]

Lo and behold, the name ‘John Williams’ pops up.

Me: (excitedly, without thinking) Oh my gosh, John Williams! I loved your work on “The Empire Strikes Back!”

Customer: (laughing) I’m not the composer, but thank you!

He’s been back a few times, and is super nice. It always makes me smile to see his name on the screen, though.