The Looks My Wife and I Get When We Are Out in Public

We laugh about it

It was a beautiful day in South Carolina. We were at Walmart grocery shopping. My wife waited by the entrance while I went to get the car.

I pulled the car up and got out to help load the groceries. As we were doing that an elderly African-American man drove by on a mobility scooter.

It was the funniest double-take ever

He glanced at us as he was passing by. He braked hard and reversed the scooter and glared at us as we loaded our groceries. He sat there on his scooter, glaring. He was still glaring as we drove off.

My wife and I laughed all the way home. I was warned before I left Minneapolis about interracial relationships in the South. This was the only incident that we were glared at.

We’re an awesome couple

We often get curious looks; oddly enough, white people don’t pay attention. African-Americans might give a double-take, but it has not been a big deal at all.

We first met in person when Olivia flew to Minneapolis to see me. We had been talking online and by phone for two years. She wanted to experience The Mall of America.

They were not staring because of our height differences

For two days we walked and shopped and ate and explored almost every inch of the mall. I’m six feet and I weigh too much. Olivia is around five feet and weighs just right.

We had a great time at the mall, but we got lots of curious looks. We laughed about the stares. We received more stares in Minneapolis than we do here in the South.

Their comments made my day

The only time a stranger has commented was when we were leaving the County Tax Office. Two older black women were getting out of a car.

“Hi,” one of the women said. “We wanted to tell you how neat it is to see you two together, God Bless you both.” We thanked the ladies and went on our way.

I was raised to believe that folks were folks

I grew up around military people. My dad made a career in the Air Force, so I have been around different races and mixes of races. I’m not saying there was no racism, but it wasn’t overt in any way that I saw.

On the base in Japan, I saw interracial couples of every mixture imaginable. In high school, it wasn’t uncommon. I still don’t see it as a big deal, and it wasn’t seen as a big deal by my classmates.

Final Thought:

It’s awesome that we can go out as a couple in the South and it’s not a big deal. I know that racial issues have been in the news a lot lately. This country has come a long way, but there is still so much to do.

In the meantime, my wife and I will laugh at the occasional stares.

Be happy for the people who have found someone to love. Don’t be concerned about who they are loving. Let them do them and you do you.