If he truly was making a stupid joke in the hopes of building friendship with you, he should have been horrified to know that his prank had freaked you out. He would have apologized, and insisted on replacing your lunch and buying you a bouquet to apologize. He was not actually joking.

Laurel Dinosaur Park, about 30 minutes from Washington DC and Baltimore, is supposed to be great. I haven’t been, but many of my friends and their kids have really enjoyed it.

Oh I’m dying - you describe the options so well!!

I work in a place where a majority of our customers are men. They are from all across the economic spectrum, and from all over the world. One of the most annoying things about my job is dealing the men who are not used to being friends with women. I smile, ask how their day is going, and inquire about how their…

Me too! The last few years, I always feel a bit disoriented walking around downtown.

One question that has been really useful for me in interviews is, “Tell me about a time when you saw someone come into a situation where they weren’t sure if they fit in, but you made them feel welcome and valued.” How the person answers this question can tell you a lot about their values and personality. Sometimes it…

As someone with asthma and respiratory issues, I would much rather be seated on the plane next to a non-deodorant wearing person, even one that WAS pretty pungent, than next to someone wearing perfume or personal care products with strong chemical scents. The sweaty person would not smell great but at least my chest…

My friend is disabled and lives in subsidized housing, and they have inspections every two months like clockwork. More often if someone in the building has reported ants or roaches. They generally leave a note on her door a few days in advance, which is fine for her because she doesn’t go out much, but whether she’s…

So true!!!!

When I was attending a small, very white, rural, wealthy college two hours from Philly, I was surprised that Bill Cosby came to our campus multiple times. His stand-up show was the main attraction at homecoming one year, he gave the commencement address at graduation another year, and I think he came back for some…

Tea tree oil has made a huge difference for me with the razor bumps and ingrown hairs! I avoid the mainstream moisturizers that have a hint of tea tree oil (because I try to stay away from all the parabens and fragrances in drug store products), and I don’t use the straight tea tree essential oil as it’s really strong…

My sister and I have a pact that if whichever one ends up in a hospital unable to take care of herself, the other will do her facial hair removal.

It actually happened - the Waffle House shooter somehow stole a car from a dealership  https://www.thedailybeast.com/video-waffle-house-shooter-escaped-cops-in-stolen-bmw-before-massacre

You’ll get no argument from me on that. One of my high school classmates was killed by cops. He was from a white family that had lived in the area for generations, the cops knew he’d come back from Iraq with PTSD, and they still executed him. And nothing thing happened, there were no departmental reforms, no apology…

I get that you’re trying to convey that you know what it feels like to be seen as an other. But isn’t there a BIG difference between a situation in which someone isn’t taking you seriously, and a situation where someone might call the cops on you? Cops who can kill you with no repercussions?

Yup, very true!

Yup, very true!

Yup, very true!

We attempted to do some implicit bias discussion at my organization when there were about 8 employees, and I was so mad at the way it went down - it was way harder on the one black woman in the room than on anyone else. Most of the men just stayed silent, but she risked challenging the one cranky old white man who…

Oh my, thank you for introducing me to Mr. Sands! I was too young in the 80s to be aware of him, but I am now eager to see Room with a View.