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On a recent weekend in Atlantic City, a woman won a bucketful of
quarters at a slot machine. She took a break from the slots for dinner
with her husband in the hotel dining room. But first she wanted to stash
the quarters in her room. "I'll be right back and we'll go eat"she told
her husband and carried the coin-laden bucket to the elevator.
As she was about to walk into the elevator, she noticed two men already
aboard. Both were black. One of them was tall...very tall...an
intimidating figure. The woman froze. Her first thought was: These two
are going to rob me. Her next thought was: Don't be a bigot, they look
like perfectly nice gentlemen. But racial stereotypes are powerful, and
fear immobilized her. She stood and stared at the two men. She felt
anxious, flustered and ashamed. She hoped they didn't read her mind but
gosh, they had to know what she was thinking!!!
Her hesitation about joining them in the elevator was all too obvious
now. Her face was flushed. She couldn't just stand there, so with a
mighty effort of will she picked up one foot and stepped forward and
followed with the other foot and was on the elevator. Avoiding eye
contact, she turned around stiffly and faced the elevator doors as they
closed. A second passed, and then another second, and then another. Her
fear increased! The elevator didn't move. Panic consumed her. My God,
she thought, I'm trapped and about to be robbed! Her heart plummeted.
Perspiration poured from every pore.
Then one of the men said, "Hit the floor." Instinct told her to do what
they told her. The bucket of quarters flew upwards as she threw out her
arms and collapsed on the elevator floor. A shower of coins rained down
on her. Take my money and spare me, she prayed. More seconds passed. She
heard one of the men say politely, "Ma'am, if you'll just tell us what
floor you're going to, we 'll push the button." The one who said it had
a little trouble getting the words out. He was trying mightily to hold
in a belly laugh.
The woman lifted her head and looked up at the two men. They reached
down to help her up. Confused, she struggled to her feet. "When I told
my friend here to hit the floor," said the average sized one, "I meant
that he should hit the elevator button for our floor. I didn't mean for
you to hit the floor, ma'am." He spoke genially. He bit his lip. It was
obvious he was having a hard time not laughing. The woman thought: My
God, what a spectacle I've made of myself. She was humiliated to speak.
She wanted to blurt out an apology, but words failed her. How do you
apologize to two perfectly respectable gentlemen for behaving as though
they were going to rob you? She didn't know what to say.
The three of them gathered up the strewn quarters and refilled her
bucket. When the elevator arrived at her floor they then insisted on
walking her to her room. She seemed a little unsteady on her feet, and
they were afraid she might not make it down the corridor. At her door
they bid her a good evening. As she slipped into her room she could hear
them roaring with laughter as they walked back to the elevator. The
woman brushed herself off. She pulled herself together and went
downstairs for dinner with her husband.
The next morning flowers were delivered to her room - a dozen roses.
Attached to EACH rose was a crisp one hundred dollar bill. The card
said:"Thanks for the best laugh we've had in years."
It was signed;
Eddie Murphy
Michael Jordan
quarters at a slot machine. She took a break from the slots for dinner
with her husband in the hotel dining room. But first she wanted to stash
the quarters in her room. "I'll be right back and we'll go eat"she told
her husband and carried the coin-laden bucket to the elevator.
As she was about to walk into the elevator, she noticed two men already
aboard. Both were black. One of them was tall...very tall...an
intimidating figure. The woman froze. Her first thought was: These two
are going to rob me. Her next thought was: Don't be a bigot, they look
like perfectly nice gentlemen. But racial stereotypes are powerful, and
fear immobilized her. She stood and stared at the two men. She felt
anxious, flustered and ashamed. She hoped they didn't read her mind but
gosh, they had to know what she was thinking!!!
Her hesitation about joining them in the elevator was all too obvious
now. Her face was flushed. She couldn't just stand there, so with a
mighty effort of will she picked up one foot and stepped forward and
followed with the other foot and was on the elevator. Avoiding eye
contact, she turned around stiffly and faced the elevator doors as they
closed. A second passed, and then another second, and then another. Her
fear increased! The elevator didn't move. Panic consumed her. My God,
she thought, I'm trapped and about to be robbed! Her heart plummeted.
Perspiration poured from every pore.
Then one of the men said, "Hit the floor." Instinct told her to do what
they told her. The bucket of quarters flew upwards as she threw out her
arms and collapsed on the elevator floor. A shower of coins rained down
on her. Take my money and spare me, she prayed. More seconds passed. She
heard one of the men say politely, "Ma'am, if you'll just tell us what
floor you're going to, we 'll push the button." The one who said it had
a little trouble getting the words out. He was trying mightily to hold
in a belly laugh.
The woman lifted her head and looked up at the two men. They reached
down to help her up. Confused, she struggled to her feet. "When I told
my friend here to hit the floor," said the average sized one, "I meant
that he should hit the elevator button for our floor. I didn't mean for
you to hit the floor, ma'am." He spoke genially. He bit his lip. It was
obvious he was having a hard time not laughing. The woman thought: My
God, what a spectacle I've made of myself. She was humiliated to speak.
She wanted to blurt out an apology, but words failed her. How do you
apologize to two perfectly respectable gentlemen for behaving as though
they were going to rob you? She didn't know what to say.
The three of them gathered up the strewn quarters and refilled her
bucket. When the elevator arrived at her floor they then insisted on
walking her to her room. She seemed a little unsteady on her feet, and
they were afraid she might not make it down the corridor. At her door
they bid her a good evening. As she slipped into her room she could hear
them roaring with laughter as they walked back to the elevator. The
woman brushed herself off. She pulled herself together and went
downstairs for dinner with her husband.
The next morning flowers were delivered to her room - a dozen roses.
Attached to EACH rose was a crisp one hundred dollar bill. The card
said:"Thanks for the best laugh we've had in years."
It was signed;
Eddie Murphy
Michael Jordan
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