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Let’s Be Less Mean!

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Clarissa

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There is a middle-aged woman from Poland working in the “Russian” section of the local ethnic food supermarket. (I believe she’s from Poland based on her accent and facial features.)

The woman always looks terrified and very defensive whenever I approach her. Today she almost burst into tears when she had to tell me that the product I wanted wasn’t available. Her hands were shaking and her voice was unsteady, so I had to reassure her I was really fine without this particular brand of squash paste. (God, I love squash paste. But you’ve never tried it because it isn’t manufactured here.)

Russian speakers are mean but immigrant Russian speakers are REALLY mean. I can only imagine what my cultural compatriots put this poor lady through at that store every day.

3 responses to “Let’s Be Less Mean!”

  1. ¡No Pasarán! (@nopasa) Avatar
    ¡No Pasarán! (@nopasa)

    Kindness is the grease that keeps the machinery of civilization moving. Some people just don’t get that.

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  2. Michael Blekhman Avatar
    Michael Blekhman

    God bless that lady! No product available: Let this be the greatest problem in the world! 🙂 🙂 And Merry Christmas to her!!

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  3. Sternococktail Avatar
    Sternococktail

    It was more fair in the USSR-days – then everything was unavailable for everyone!
    Weak men – weak people – like to scold waiters and waitresses to make the impression of how great a person they are. But it is a sign of weakness, not a proof of strength to bully those with less power than yourself.

    Taking the opportunity to check – everything that is said in propaganda isn’t true – the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Like – Hitler didn’t really threw himself to the floor and chewed on the rug. The nickname “det Teppich-fresser” was just an propaganda construction.

    -So I have been told – that in the Soviet days, you had to stand in line at the stores to get to a display of the goods that were on sale. And you noted down the number, and then you had to stand in another line, waiting, at the cashier’s. When it was your turn, you told the number of the ware you wanted, and paid what it cost. For that you got a voucher, and with that in your hand you joined a third queue for a desk where you handed over the voucher and in return got the stuff you wanted and had paid for. Of course, if the ware hadn’t run out of stock before you got to it.

    Is that true – or just a half truth, or – faked altogether?

    Tip – a crazy tip – but I’ve go hunch that 1. you haven’t seen the following movie, and 2. you would like it! It is the only comedy Greta Garbo played – too bad – she’s great, Greta! It is 1939 – and a movie that makes fun of the Soviet system, the Communism and the USSR – and does it nicely, almost kindly!


    clip from the movie Ninotchka

    It is worth while to try to see the whole movie. The lawyers have cleaned it out from Youtube, but one side gives the tip: Publicerades den 14 dec. 2015
    Ninotchka : http://bit.ly/1LvCsXW
    Click And Play MOVIE : http://bit.ly/1LvCsXW
    Don’t miss the HOTTES MOVIES!

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A conservative literary critic and college professor

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