Natalya

I can’t believe it. I just can’t. Anyway, at work (Here’s some background, I work in a library, I’ve been there for 2 years and a bit now, it’s more of a community centre, than a library as such) we run a film afternoon for the children on Saturdays. For 12-18 months, I’ve been putting the popcorn in cups to give to the children while they watch the film. This is no trouble as it’s easy for me to clean up later and because of issues relating to hygiene. It made sense back then. Now everything’s changed.
This Saturday gone (28/1) I’ve been getting complaint after complaint saying that I need to start putting the popcorn in large bowls for people to scoop and ‘encourage sharing’. I was upset at this. I told them to listen to themselves and that this new idea is going to ‘encourage germs’ Secondly, can these people, just stop doing this? Can they just stop telling me how I should do my job here? I get it repeatedly, I’m constantly told how I need to do my job here by people who think they know everything. It’s microaggression. I’ve also had someone say I speak English well for ‘someone brown. I don’t know what it is these people want or expect. I spoke to my mum (a nurse) and she was ”They have no right to tell you how to do your job here! Is this what they think? That their opinion matters and they should be the centre of the universe? This is entitlement!” They also think I’m ‘confrontational’ when I’m assertive and it’s just my heritage! (I’m half Caribbean). Rant over.