One of the most important things to me is trust. Today I was in the library studying for an upcoming exam. I had my laptop and everything with me, but I was getting hungry. I wanted to go downstairs to the Cyber Cafe and grab a bite to eat. I couldn't leave me laptop sitting out. I wanted to trust that someone wouldn't just walk by and steal it, but you never know. Instead, I looked around and found a nice looking girl to watch it for me. She gladly let me set it down while I went downstairs. This could have gone wrong in so many ways, but thankfully it was still sitting there, undisturbed when I returned.
I asked that girl specific girl to watch it for me simply because she was sitting closest to me, but this got me thinking. I could have just as easily asked the guy sitting one more step away to watch it for me. Did I subconsciously ask a white, kind-looking female to watch my computer because I thought she looked safer and more trustworthy? Has society so engrained in our minds whom to trust and whom not to trust based solely on how they look? Did I allow society's stereotypes involving gender and race to determine with whom I would entrust me laptop? Stereotypes like these are planted in our minds, mostly for safety. When we're in a potentially dangerous situation we try to find what's different, or wrong, so we can stay safe. However, all too often, those snap judgements and stereotypes translate into aspects of our lives where we are perfectly safe, and therefore have no need to assume the worst.
-Libby Morehouse
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