aliens

Last Saturday we decided to have dinner at a Bertucci's and received a friendly reminder of how South Jersey can be so white.

As we drove into the parking lot, the restaurant appeared fairly crowded. I thought about turning away but my stomach was in the mood for some chain restaurant italian food. We parked about 100 meters from the entrance and noticed a large caucasian family (2 parents, 2 grandparents and 4 teenage kids) waiting outside.

This outdoor waiting area features a walkway flanked by two large benches occupied by the family. They are busily chattering away with multiple conversations going on simultaneously. A fairly lively bunch. But as we enter their immediate vicinity, the chattering immediately stops. An uncomfortable stillness freezes the air as we step through the walkway between them. I feel eyes on us and I'm not the overly sensitive type. In fact, I take my eyes off the entrance door and look at each person. Some of the kids drop their eyes to the ground while the adults remained fixed on us. Hmm there's no dirt or leftover food on my face. I'm dressed cooler than they are but my fashion wasn't outlandish or threatening. Ahh shucks must be that minority thing again.

I'm tempted to pull a '94 era Tupac when he defiantly strutted out the courtroom like George Jefferson. But I simply grin in their direction with a bounce in my step. These types of situations are not new to us but its never comforting to feel like an alien in your own town. On the other hand, its empowering to have the ability to silence a group of people.

I ask my wife if we time-traveled back to the 50's or somehow transported ourselves to the deep South. Then we entered the doors and overlooked a sea of caucasians. I never remembered this Bertucci's being so white before. Must be a promotional family night.