Ok, so a day after I wrote the last post, I was in the elevator alone, and as the doors began to close, I heard footsteps (on the carpet, mind you...I am GOOD).  I stuck my arm in the pathway of the invisible magic sensor (which I'm sure doesn't exist), and on stepped a sharply dressed bald African American man (why am I still uncomfortable with that phrase?  What if he's of Jamaican descent, or Belizean?  I digress....

He gets on and thanks me profusely (and almost inappropriately) for holding the door.  I said, "wow, you sound like a guy who's had a few elevator doors slam on him".  He launches into a story of how when he first entered the work world, he used to become so enraged when people would let the door slam.  He turns to me with a totally serious face and says, "well, you KNOW why they didn't hold the door, don't you?"  I paused with a thoughtful face...."because you're bald?" I asked.  PAUSE  What followed was the longest three seconds of my life.  This guy is thinking, "is this bitch mocking me, or is she really this stupid?"  So I finally smile that smile that says, "lighten up dude, it's all okay".  He smiles back.  Then he says, "you're funny and sweet, but you know how people are".  And I replied, "Yea, I do.  People are both rude and unaware at times."  He nodded. 

As the doors opened at his floor, I said, "Rude and unaware don't know color.  As victims of those behaviors, we're all equal."

And you know, I believe that.  Assholes are assholes, no matter what.  I bet the elevator door slams on me just as many times as on my bald, black (yea, I know that's not the preferred adjective, deal with it) friend.  That's what makes us appreciate the nice people in our lives.