It Continues (Randyjw; December 15, 2022)
On the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest Jewish holiday, the convenience store where I purchase “food,” sometimes just to be able to use a restroom, closed the restrooms to the public, and kept them closed for roughly a month or so. Big problem for a homeless person.
The city recently did some holiday decorating with some bright lights wrapped around the streetlamps. They were mostly white lights, with the top portion being blue. I presume the connotation alluded to the upcoming Jewish holiday of Chanukah, celebrated this year, 2022, on December 18th. They remained only for a day or so. Then, most of the streetlamps in a long section (where I tend to sit and rest on my bags for a bit, before moving on) went totally dark, and stayed that way for a few days. When the lights were restored, they had all suddenly become white with green at the top (instead of blue), except for one lonely streetlamp.
Two years ago at the same store noted above, Hallmark suddenly began to “disappear” the Jewish holiday cards, with the exception of the Tree of Life bar/bat mitzvah cards. Jewish people have had to fight in the United States (and everywhere) for equal rights (including having fought for the rights of other minorities). Hallmark had eventually begun to include the Jewish people and their holidays (via cards), and it was this way for a long time, now. Thank you, Hallmark. However, recently, this has not been the case. With the “woke” movement, we are now again being relegated to persona non grata status in all things. This has become almost an official policy, as it affects us in public institutions and policies, as well. So Hallmark had not placed cards in that store for Chanukah 2020. A couple of Jewish people waiting in line before me were wondering, as was I, what the date of Chanukah was that year, and had also noticed the aforementioned non-placement of cards and banners, etc. Nor had Hallmark placed cards and banners at this store during Passover 2021. I e-mailed Hallmark regarding these two “oversights?”, but would only receive pat response-form letters in reply. When Hallmark finally did pay personal attention to this issue (maybe by what I had written), by Rosh HaShanah of 2021, card sets had been placed within the store – athough there were no top of section banners any longer, with the date of the celebration given. But, there were banners/dates for St Patrick’s Day, Easter, etc.
Waiting to enter the library one day just last week, I was sitting on my bags and smoking outside. A lady I had recently seen on the bus, and who had given me grief about not working, passed on the pathway toward the library, and recalled that she had previously met me on the bus. Again, she said I could work at CVS, and I had replied that she really didn’t know anything about me. She said, in a very nasty tone, “What are you mental? Sick? (with the twiddly fingers by the ear). I’m sorry, but for roughly two years or so, I seem to have been under constant surveillance by cars that stop and take note of me; by people speaking in Spanish about a woman “puta”; etc. I am harassed often by various racial groups: White, Hispanic, Black, Arab.
Having a sense of precognition that this would occur, I was questioned by a law enforcement officer (who looks Arab) about two hours prior to my birthday. There are a lot of people of Arab(ic) origin now in the neighborhood. They have become managers at many of the grocery stores, the convenience store where I go, and in the city law enforcement sectors. While they seem to be very nice and I do not seem to have any personal particular problems with them, I do feel that sense of intimidation-show-of-power thing when these coincidental matters, such as the closing of the restroom on Yom Kippur, the disappearance of the Jewish holiday cards, and the questioning before my birthday, etc. have occured.
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