Yesterday I was standing on avenue Bosquet in Paris with my sizeable pc in hand and headphones on in the middle of a Skype call. The reason I happened to be shamefully poaching wifi on the street in broad daylight was because the building I was in closed unexpectedly and I was banished to the street. As I was glancing around trying to look careless I noticed a really tall woman in sports wear walking a dog with another woman. As they crossed Bosquet on rue St. Dominique I thought to myself “she looks like Venus Williams” but the thought left my mind as soon as it entered. Ten minutes later the trio returned and this time they were facing me and indeed it was Venus Williams with someone else whom I don’t know and I don’t care about the identity of the dog.
I was so excited and followed them down rue St. Dominque with my pc quasi open and cradled in my right arm, sagging back pack on my shoulder and my head set in the other hand. I opened with “Are you Venus Williams?” and she answered “Ya” I continued “Oh my gosh I’m such a big fan” she continued walking never once looking back to acknowledge me while I followed her like a dog. The response to my enthusiasm I got from her was “Whatever”. I was insulted but stupidly persisted and asked her if I could take a photo. At this point the tennis player semi glanced back over her right shoulder at me just enough to smugly say “not right now” and she kept going.
I was too shocked but eventually my shock translated to the realization that the way she acted towards me spelled out two words:PISS OFF. Not right now? Of course no problem because I see you all the time and we can do this tomorrow then. If she didn’t want to be bothered she could have pretended not to hear me. We’re in France and I’m speaking English she could have pretended not to hear me and I would have assumed it was a case of mistaken identity and left the lanky French lady alone. No, she makes sure I know who she is then proceeds to be pompous.
Growing up I looked up to the Williams sisters as role models. For young black girls the Williams sisters epitomized the sky truly being the limit. I remember when I was in high school my biology teacher accused the tennis playing sisters of using steroids because there was no way they could beat their competitors fair and square. I remember getting into a heated debate with this teacher over her bigoted remarks. If I had known then what I know now I probably would have reacted differently and perhaps I would have gotten a better biology mark. I guess my encounter with the lanky tennis player taught me that the person you come to know via various mediations is not the real person and unfortunately sometimes you might find that the real person is not worth anything. As fans we may have less influence but the fact that we have the ability to build up someone’s career and put our hard earned pennies as an offering to your cause, is a position that demands respect.
I wish her luck in life but will end with one of those proverbs that are floating around that says “Be nice to people on your way up because you will meet them on your way down.”
