Seriously, I think this Pandemic is turning me into a “Karen.” And I know, it’s sexist and demeaning to people who are actually called Karen (sorry nice Karen’s out there), but with this new trend going around of people yelling their opinions as loud as possible and not listening to others and trying to prove how “right” they are about everything to BLM, COVID19, schools re-opening, politics, abortion, systemic racism, I feel like I *might* be turning into a Karen.
Evidence point number 1: I am a “middle-aged” white SAHM who recently went through a bout of serious issues with our landline (landline!?!?) and internet service. I have literally called about 15 times in the month of July to ask for help, to be hung-up on, to have repair tickets placed for someone to come to my home, to being told the issue is inside the house meaning more $$ I have to shell out. Middle-class white lady problems, I’m aware. But here’s the thing: I’m usually a very nice customer. I have worked in service industries before and I know that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. But over the course of July, I haven’t found it inside myself to be kind to one single person on the phone. Sometimes I even catch myself thinking “If the person trying to help me on the phone just spoke better English this wouldn’t be so hard,” or “If this were a woman I was talking to, I would be treated with more respect and actual good customer service.”
But the truth is, I went in guns blazing. I went in the the attitude that I was owed something by my internet and landline (LANDLINE!?!?!?) provider. That I deserved better customer service because I’ve been a customer for over 7 years. That I always pay my bill on time and that alone should account for something.
Example number 2: Yesterday, after having yet another fight with the internet company, I went to pick up junk food for me and the kids because Hubby had softball and I was done being a productive or even kind human being. As I was on my way home, there was an incident at a notoriously “dumb” intersection. The traffic coming off the small highway has the right-of-way and there is a 3-way Stop sign for the other lanes of traffic. Well, it quickly became clear that none of the people driving yesterday were familiar with our neighborhood or this particular intersection because the car exiting the highway was just slowly inching their way through the intersection meanwhile pissing off every other person (or probably just me) by not following proper driving rules. Once the person had cleared the intersection, we started to go in order of first come-first served and in the appropriate direction. THEN, another car from an oncoming land took my spot and just drove in front of me. I was incensed! I honked, threw my arms up, then the middle finger. I realized in that moment, that I had officially turned in the crazy white lady that believed she was owed her turn in the intersection: AKA, Karen.
I couldn’t shake the anger I felt. I literally feel like I’m losing my mind. I never would have let something so silly upset me like that prior to the Pandemic. At least I don’t think so….I came home and talked with my sensitive, understanding and loving oldest son. I explained to him that I thought I was going crazy and that being cooped up at home is really not good for my mental health.
I keep seeing memes that say things like, and I’m really paraphrasing here, “if you don’t come out of lock down with a better body and more creativity then you’ve done it wrong,” or the complete opposite idea of “take care of yourself, no one expects you to cure cancer during this stressful time.” But I keep thinking, yeah, but will I have a family left after this crisis is over? I’ve been mean and vindictive. I’ve ignored my kids more times than I can count. I’ve avoided friends, family, talking to my spouse at times. I haven’t been scheduling normal doctors and dentist appointments because it’s too hard to find any motivation to leave the house. And when I do leave the house, you can put money on the fact that I will probably cuss someone under my breath or think terrible things about random strangers I know nothing about, or wish death upon people for minor infractions.
So I guess I’m saying, yes, being a “Karen” and calling cops on POC doing every day things or on people for not wearing a mask in a public place is a total bitch move. But I can also kinda relate. The stress, pressure, and divisiveness of our current society is getting to everyone. And it totally sucks that we have turned to a woman’s name to point out the ludicrousy of these current situations. I wish we could have called them “Jeffery” or “Donald.” It seems like a much more fitting name. But since women have always taken the fall, we shall overcome this as well.