Has anyone else experienced this?
Hey everyone,
I’ve been living in Calgary since around September, and I’ve been having a pretty different experience socially than I expected.
Before moving here, I was used to being in environments where I felt comfortable and didn’t really have to think about race much. Since being here, I’ve noticed a lot more subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) behaviors that have been getting to me over time—especially on public transit.
Things like people clutching their bags, avoiding sitting near me, social distancing or even reacting in ways that feel like fear or discomfort. It doesn’t happen every time, but it happens more and more now that it’s starting to affect how I feel day by day now
I’ve even had a horrible situation when someone kept on shouting the N word at me for a good 10 minutes on the train before leaving and I was so confused I didn’t even know what to do
I’m not really posting this to argue whether it’s “real” or not—I just want to understand if others have experienced something similar here, and how you deal with it without letting it get to you.
Appreciate any honest perspectives.