THE ABNORMAL AMERICAN….

--While waiting for my wife to finish checking out at a local store the other day a young man with a clipboard came up to me and asked if he could ask me a few questions for a survey he was taking. Not having anything better to do beside wait, I said sure why not. I mean, how many times can you read the store flyer before your bored out of mind.
--So while I patiently waited he fiddled with his papers and after a bit began his questions.
--"What race do you consider yourself? White, black, Hispanic, Asian, Muslin, Latino, or other."
--I smiled and said, "American"
--This seemed to shake him up so much he almost dropped his clipboard. “I’m sorry sir perhaps you didn't understand the question? I was asking about what race do you consider yourself?"
--Well not wanting to upset the guy any more for fear he'd drop his clipboard. I tried once again to answer his question. “I guess you could say other than"
--This seemed to satisfy him some what until he came to the next question. Which was trying to nail exactly what race it was I considered myself.
--He rattled off another list of races. Half of which I couldn't pronounce let alone remember. And then stood there patiently with pen poised ready to write down my answer.
--I smiled and said,” I’m afraid I'll have to spell it out for you since it seems to be a dying race, A-M-E-R-I-C-A-N."
--Well he started to write when I guess he figured out what I had said, because he sort of lost control of his fine motor skills and dropped his clip board scattering papers all over.
--I got up to give him a hand, when I noticed my wife was finally done checking out. And figured I better head on over.
--As I was walking away I said, "I'm sorry I can't help you pick up your papers.” My wife's done and I really need to help her with her cart. Walking away I could hear him muttering to himself about people being to stupid to answer a simple question.
--I guess it probably would have been better for him if I'd just went along with the norm and picked from the list.....