It seems I am running a theme. So it was a park the first time, the second time was a museum. And it’s a museum again. But a little different. I don’t know if y’all know its museum day today. I found out on thursday via the news. I went to the website printed out a ticket for us to enjoy some time at the Works museum in Bloomington. We have never been there before, but I heard great things. And it was cool to be able to barely pay anything to enjoy it, but once again the little microaggressions come out and I can’t just stuff them in like I normally do. Thus this blog entry.
After we paid our admission. The twins and I went to the exhibits, there was a harp that you could play by way of infrared technology. This would be our favorite part of the museum, and a seat with a bicycle pedal where you could make a dog chase a person. A station where you can build a car, and this is where my blood pressure started to rise. I helped the twins build the cars and then Dani wanted me to race with them. We went to the area where you would race your car. There were a couple of children there, and like good Minnesotans-or human beings we waited our turn. With Dani, it took me saying to some kid, “Its our turn now” without sounding like a complete jerk, but really it was our turn. We raced our cars, then I went to help Maleli finish her car so she could let her’s go down the ramp too. When we waited patiently, I watched little blonde haired boys and girls constantly budge in front of my kid, push each other. Every time Maleli and I would try to go up the ramp, another alabaster kid would push their way to the front. One parent did finally pull their kid away kicking and screaming, but it seems the other kids skipped preschool the day they talked about wait your turn and don’t budge. Finally I just went to the front, pulled Maleli up and told her to put her car on the ramp. Another parent said “oh yeah kumquat (or whatever name they were) lets let the other kids have a turn, this little girl was waiting so patiently.” I am sure Maleli gave her famous eye roll. Another kid came up and raced along side her, but took over the whole operation of the mechanism that holds the cars back.
Ah well! We move on to another exhibit, one where there weren’t so many non-melainated people and there was actually another black mother with her children playing. I think we were the happiest at that maze, because no little non-POCs to get in our way. We went to another part of the museum, this time I was determined not to let the future Beckys of the world ruin their day at the museum (although I think they had fun regardless!) We had a blast at one exhibit to the next, because I did not give zero fucks about whose turn it was or if we were taking up space, because dammit every body else was, and it is not often I get to take my kids to places like this.
Case in point White People I love (some of ) y’all dearly, but you take up space, your children take up space. This has just been on my mind, because I am noticing that it is starting young. My kids were feeling it too. We were joking with each other that there was too many whiny kids (when my kids point out other kids are whiny, its a problem) Dani and Maleli pointed it out a lot and all I could think was space for us here was limited, in the sense that my kids could play like the others, but a fear of asserting their space would be looked at differently. How would the reaction be if it was my kids pushing other, yelling at other kids, not being considerate? It seems white parents and their kids never have to think if their actions have consequences, but for a black parent any slight would be offensive. But again I have to be the advocate for my twins and for all other kids too, so if it means I got to be the mean one, so my kids can have fun, then so be it! Again I gives ZERO FUCKS!
I am not saying no one had more or less of a right to be at the museum than my kids. I paid an admission like you did, I paid attention for once and took advantage of a free pass. BUt like I said, trips to museums and parks where you have to pay admissions are luxuries for people like myself. This will probably be a rare treat for my kids, I may not be able to do this again for another six months, but some of you can do this every weekend if you wanted to. Every time I do something like this I get that everyone and their mom will come out, who doesn’t like the word free!? My kids even noticed that they were the only kids of color there, beside the family we were free with at the maze and the two Somali kids in the STEM event. Dani even said they like that museum, but they want to go when its less whiny and white. Damn even the kid was stressed out by white nonsense!
lorettasrantsandmusings 