Ignorant Idiot

My girlfriend, Kathy, and I went to the grocery store with Gabriella this afternoon. Gabriella was sitting in one of the pretend cars attached to a shopping cart. As we were leaving the store an older man walked ahead of us and left the store and we proceeded directly behind him. He turned and exclaimed, "She looks Chinese." I was dumbfounded, and simply said, "No," while trying to control myself from wrapping my hands around his neck due to his complete ignorance and lack of tact. He then said, "She's not Chinese? She looks Chinese." Kathy and I simply said, "No," again and continued to our car. I am sure there are a million brilliant things that I should have said and / or different ways to have reacted, but I was not witty enough at the time to think of them. And, so what if Gabriella were Chinese? What difference would that have made to him? Are Chinese children not allowed in the same store he shops in? Why ask the question? Is it because there were two white women with her? Is there something strange in that? I am baffled in trying to understand what was going through that man's small brain.

I am commonly asked if Gabriella's father is Asian and other similar questions. I am generally not caught off-guard or bothered by these questions and answer all tactful questions appropriately. I am all for being open and sharing the beauty of adoption with whoever will listen. But, this idiot, on the other hand, was completely out-of-line and totally ignorant. I get most upset because I know these are the types of people that Gabriella will have to face on her own in the future. In the meantime, my job is to teach her value her uniqueness and help her to be proud of the beautiful person she is inside and out.