Years ago, the coffee shop I worked at in downtown Annapolis flooded during a hurricane and was shut down for some time. All of the employees were displaced and given hours at other stores, but I was a salaried assistant manager and none of the local stores could afford another salaried employee, so they sent … Continue reading Christmas and Coffee Shops
In my daily travels, I find myself having interactions with all different types of people from a variety of different national, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. If it is obvious to me that a person is a first or even second generation immigrant, I try to politely ask about his or her background, making it clear … Continue reading On Bacon and Morality
I was sent on a service call one day to repair a coffee brewer that had lost power at a coffee shop in Northern Virginia. When I arrived, I approached the counter and was met by an average sized black man with a slight accent. He told me that the brewer had no power and … Continue reading Electricity Does Not Apologize
Not long after my in-laws moved here from Cambodia, I was at home with my mother-in-law who, up until that point, I had assumed could speak very little English. I forget what we were doing, but there was a magazine or newspaper lying around and, to my shock, she picked it up and strugglingly read … Continue reading She Had To Forget
I used to train Brazilian jiu-jitsu with a guy who had a reputation for being a little bit wild on the mats, to the point where his actions were sometimes injurious to his training partners. Most of the time, when we sparred together, I would play defense in an attempt to at least stay safe … Continue reading Not All Bullies Are Created Equal
