People Like Me

Conversations I've had recently.
Un-imagined. Un-exaggerated. Un-real. Really.

Sam: I usually buy my jeans from Maurices. I like the way they fit there...
Other: *snort* That's too rich for my blood.
Sam: *debates continuing conversation, sensing the direction it is headed* They are only like $30...
Other: Like I said. Too rich for me. I just don't get people who spend that much money on the same clothes that they could buy for under half that at Kohl's.
Sam: *places imaginary gun to temple*
Other: They look just as good coming from there.
Sam: Yeah...I don't know...I have a style...
Other: I just don't know how people can be so stupid.
Sam: *pulls imaginary trigger*

********

Other: (after telling me education department horror stories) Yeah, you really have to be dedicated to teaching to make it through the ed department. For example, I don't want to teach Econ, but I want to teach so I will.
Sam: Yeah, I think I have more of a loyalty to teaching English as a second language than to teaching...
Other: Well, everyone in the ed department would perfer you didn't even try to get through then. People like you bring the entire education system down, and your type are the kinds of teachers that don't change their lesson plans for ten years and never cater to kids with disabilities, etc.
Sam: *unable to formulate words*
Other: No offense...but you probably couldn't even get through the system anyway...

********

In Spanish (translated for easier reading. You are welcome.)

(context: classmate is enraged that the voting percentage in Spain is about 70% while in the US it is about 30%)

Sam: *playing Devil's advocate* I'm just saying, some people might not vote because they don't think it matters that much.
Other: I hate people like that. I just don't get it!
Sam: This is particularly true for presidential elections if you think about it. Technically they president is elected by the electoral college...
Other: *becoming more enraged by the minute, raises voice slightly* That is such a terrible argument!
Sam: Why? There was a candadate who won the popular vote and lost the electoral college, and look who became president because of that...

*conversation continues in this manner until the class ends, one participant defending the rights of non-voters, one, decidedly not.*

In English (on the way out of the classroom)

(please note: in the following conversation, the word "talk" is tone indicative of the word "speak.")

Sam: *walking 4 steps behind* I hope you aren't mad at me. I do vote. I was just saying...
Other: *not turning to look at me, angrily* I'm not mad. It is just that people like you shouldn't talk.
Sam: *nearly falls* ...


********

An hour later

Sam: *retells above story* And then she told me that people like me shouldn't talk. Like we shouldn't speak...like ever...
Other: *not joking* Yeah...she has a point...
Sam: ...
Other: She could have put it more delecatly, but I know what she means.
Sam: *with every shread of dignity she can muster in her broken state* You know the great thing about living in a democracy is that we have the right not to vote too...
Other: *raising voice slightly* People who think that are idiots.
Sam: *crawls in hole. is never seen again*

********

I wonder if people who say things that begin with "people like me" and are essentially about me think they are only insulting "people like" me, and not actually me...