I intended to write about the mission trip but decided to relate a sad and rude encounter instead.
I was in Raffles City at around 3pm yesterday. I was taking the elevator to the 5th level from the ground floor. When the lift-door opened, there were several people in it already but there were still room for a few to enter.
I was one of the few who went in and it was here that something unpleasant happened. There was this lady in her twenties behind me who suddenly made some rude comments and this was the account...
Lady: The lift is damn bloody full already and yet this fat shit still want to enter.
(I knew she was referring to me cuz the two other ladies who went in with me were slim. Note also that I was the first to enter, followed by the two ladies.)
Lady: Think you are damn bloody small-size, is it?
(I ignored her.)
Lady: Don't pretend that you do not know who I am referring to.
(It was here I turned and looked at her.)
Andy: Why do you have to make such comments, miss?
Lady: I have the right to say what I want and who are you to tell me what I should or should not say?
Andy: Yes, you have the right to say anything but do spare some thoughts about how some of your words may have affected another.
Lady: Shut up la.
Andy: You had better mind your words, lady.
Lady: What do you want to do to me? Whack me ah?!
(I kept quiet. There was this other lady who asked that rude lady to cool it.)
When the lift reached the 5th level, I got out. So did the lady. She glared at me and I smiled at her.
Why do some have prejudices against horizontally-challenged people? Are they not humans too?
Why did the lady have to comment on my size when there were these two other ladies who went into the lift after me? Shouldn't she make the comments about the two ladies instead who decided to squeeze into the elevator when they knew that it was already almost full?
My conclusion is that the lady just have something against fat people.
This is not the only incident I have encountered about my size. I also had similar incidents when I was in school; in army; in university; in church; in the hospital; and among friends.
I am glad that God taught me to accept my size and not be too affected by what people say. But then, like it or not, I am still affected because I am human and I have feelings too.
What happens if the comments made by the lady were targetted at another fat person who may not be able to take the rude statements? There are many who are big in size but low in self-esteem and the society is to be blamed for such mindset.
As I write the above-mentioned, I am also reflecting on my own views towards others around me. I do confess that I have prejudices too and each time I have them, I would pray and ask God to help me see people with His eyes and not mine. It helped in many occasions as it allowed me to realise that these people are all God's creation. Who am I to think negatively of them? Sad to say, there are times when I fell into the trap and hence look down on others.
Why did I smile at the lady? It was simply because I wanted her to know that I accepted her as who she is. I could have said many unpleasant things to her in anger but what's the point?
Well, life goes on. Whether people accept me or not, I am not bothered. So long as I know God accepts me as who I am, I am contented.
Actually, let me correct what I said in the first line of the last paragraph above. Come to think of it, I am bothered by what people think of me especially if they are my friends. Shouldn't everyone accept a friend as who he is and not have prejudices against him?
I sure hope I, myself, will practise what I have just said.
"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." Genesis 1:31
I was in Raffles City at around 3pm yesterday. I was taking the elevator to the 5th level from the ground floor. When the lift-door opened, there were several people in it already but there were still room for a few to enter.
I was one of the few who went in and it was here that something unpleasant happened. There was this lady in her twenties behind me who suddenly made some rude comments and this was the account...
Lady: The lift is damn bloody full already and yet this fat shit still want to enter.
(I knew she was referring to me cuz the two other ladies who went in with me were slim. Note also that I was the first to enter, followed by the two ladies.)
Lady: Think you are damn bloody small-size, is it?
(I ignored her.)
Lady: Don't pretend that you do not know who I am referring to.
(It was here I turned and looked at her.)
Andy: Why do you have to make such comments, miss?
Lady: I have the right to say what I want and who are you to tell me what I should or should not say?
Andy: Yes, you have the right to say anything but do spare some thoughts about how some of your words may have affected another.
Lady: Shut up la.
Andy: You had better mind your words, lady.
Lady: What do you want to do to me? Whack me ah?!
(I kept quiet. There was this other lady who asked that rude lady to cool it.)
When the lift reached the 5th level, I got out. So did the lady. She glared at me and I smiled at her.
Why do some have prejudices against horizontally-challenged people? Are they not humans too?
Why did the lady have to comment on my size when there were these two other ladies who went into the lift after me? Shouldn't she make the comments about the two ladies instead who decided to squeeze into the elevator when they knew that it was already almost full?
My conclusion is that the lady just have something against fat people.
This is not the only incident I have encountered about my size. I also had similar incidents when I was in school; in army; in university; in church; in the hospital; and among friends.
I am glad that God taught me to accept my size and not be too affected by what people say. But then, like it or not, I am still affected because I am human and I have feelings too.
What happens if the comments made by the lady were targetted at another fat person who may not be able to take the rude statements? There are many who are big in size but low in self-esteem and the society is to be blamed for such mindset.
As I write the above-mentioned, I am also reflecting on my own views towards others around me. I do confess that I have prejudices too and each time I have them, I would pray and ask God to help me see people with His eyes and not mine. It helped in many occasions as it allowed me to realise that these people are all God's creation. Who am I to think negatively of them? Sad to say, there are times when I fell into the trap and hence look down on others.
Why did I smile at the lady? It was simply because I wanted her to know that I accepted her as who she is. I could have said many unpleasant things to her in anger but what's the point?
Well, life goes on. Whether people accept me or not, I am not bothered. So long as I know God accepts me as who I am, I am contented.
Actually, let me correct what I said in the first line of the last paragraph above. Come to think of it, I am bothered by what people think of me especially if they are my friends. Shouldn't everyone accept a friend as who he is and not have prejudices against him?
I sure hope I, myself, will practise what I have just said.
"God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." Genesis 1:31
No comments:
Post a Comment