Venting.

I really should finish my commentary on Otakon before changing topics but I've already put comments on my pictures at picasaweb and I just don't have much more to say beyond "I had a great time, and cosplay is addictive!" Besides, right now, what I really need to do is vent.

I love my job. I've said it before and I'll say it again. This really is the best job ever. I really enjoy seeing and talking to a very diverse cross section of the people who both live in this country and just come to visit. I have always tried my best not to judge people by their ethnicity or background. I try not to be prejudiced because people who are disgust me.

That said, I have come to realize that I get angry with people who so thoroughly live up to the negative stereotypes of their particular group that, for a brief moment, I can understand where such prejudice and hatred come from. I get angry with the individuals and not the group because I know that the majority are not like that. The individuals are just perpetuating the stereotype. Yet I still get angry because I can see that those others around me, who are, perhaps, not so accepting of differences in others, are filing these individuals away in their minds as further proof that their general hatred and prejudice are valid and that all x people are really like that.

It is frustrating to me because I generally try to be a nice person and such people make me want to be very terse and rude in order to get them to leave more quickly. I can recognize this and then I get mad at myself for wanting to be rude to them. I have to make a conscious effort to remain polite.

As is easily inferred by the fact that I'm posting this now, I had such an experience today. In fact, the people are still here, still living up to every negative stereotype I've ever heard of, and still making me angry with myself for wanting to be rude to them. I just want to go home now.

Sometimes I just want to shake people and say "this is why so many people dislike your people!" *sigh*

Update: As I was writing this, another group of people (of the same ethnicity as the annoying ones) came in and were the sweetest, nicest people. They noticed how annoying the first group was and gave them an exasperated look. Just that look has made my day suck a little less. I have ten minutes more left in my work day. I think I can stop looking at the clock now.