Did you know WordPress gives you a daily writing prompt? This was the one posted yesterday, March 6.
What is one question you hate to be asked? Explain.
I guess the answer to that depends on the situation and the asker.
As a Chinese-American, born and raised in Southern California, two related questions I really hate to be asked:
1. What are you?
2. Where are you from? Or even better, where are you really from?
The first one is just plain dehumanizing. What does that even mean? The second one is very othering. When people ask that question of my white husband, they expect a town or region in America. When I get asked I get an annoyed look when I answer, Pasadena (home of the Rose Parade). One time when I was in Paris (ooh la la!) I was asked if I was chinoise. I said, “Je suis Americaine.” The Frenchman scoffed and said, “Oh you’re so proud to be American!” I mean, sometimes, I am.
Some questions that might be better…
What culture or ethnicity do you identify with?
Where did you grow up?
As a hypocritical, part-time vegetarian, I hate to be asked, “Can you eat that?”
Yeah, I can. Because as vegan influencer, Tabitha Brown says, “I can if I want to because that’s my business.” (Read that in a sweet voice, not a sassy one!)
When I was younger and still of child-bearing age, I hated to be asked, “Why don’t you want to have children?” I don’t know. I guess because I value peace, quiet, money in the bank? But seriously, it always upset me that I was looked at like I was flawed because my baby clock just didn’t tick. When I hit age 30, my mom realized I was serious about not having kids. “You’re so selfish!” she accused. Maybe. Maybe I’m unselfish because I don’t want to bring kids into the world without really wanting them? (Also more power to all you parents out there! It’s not for the weak.)
As a writer, I hate to be asked, “How are you going to end this piece?”
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