Interesting Chain of Events…

You may have seen my post earlier on an “Interesting Chain of Events...” One of the goals of In Lighten Productions is to show how easy jumping to conclusions about life situations or experiences can sway an opinion. We always need to search for the stories behind the story. As I stated in my intro on our website, love is the best weapon we have against biases.

Interesting Story!

So when do you play the race card? When there are no cards left! Interesting chain of events… The wife asked me to meet a contractor at a unit. He was coming there to fix an electrical problem. The wife had ensured me that the tenant had been notified well in advance and she had cleared it with him. The tenant arrived home in the middle of the repair. First words out of his mouth, I don’t know you, why are you in my place? Response: I am with the Property Management Company here to fix the electrical, Sheila, my wife notified you. Tenant: Very agitated, I don’t know you and I am in fear for my life (not realizing he carries a concealed weapon). Me: I paused, rather perplex, in fear for his life, hmmm. I repeated myself, with Property Management Company here to fix your electrical. Tenant: now walking in circles looking confused and panicked. Me: Standing there confused and looking perplex. Tenant: Why are you in my place? Me: Are you afraid because I am a black man. Tenant: Oh no, not the race card!!! It took everything in my power not to bust out laughing. Hmmm, I started out with the Property Management card, the wife card, the electrical card, I was running out of cards. The race card seemed rather logical. It was a good thing I played it or I might have been shot.Felt really bad for this guy. Fortunately the “Race Card” calmed him down.

The tenant who was so scared by who had entered his house suffers from PTSD. He is a vet who served our country well. Anything outside of his norm is a threat to him. Fortunately the “Race Card” calmed him down enough to come back to reality. He started reliving Iraq right before my very eyes. I wasn’t sure how to talk him down. Nice guy and truly needs our support. But so do many others. We just need to know the story behind the story!