Am I a ‘Karen’?

Am I a ‘Karen(kəˈren)’?

By Angela Wright

I think I might be a “Karen.” My husband didn’t know what a Karen was. If you don’t know either, I’ll put it another way: an entitled(inˈtīdld) white woman who wants what she wants.

The global pandemic has made many people more patient much of the time. It has made a few people anxious and jittery(ˈjidərē), and some people, who were self-righteous(ˈrīCHəs) to start with, have been rendered impossible.

I think my own behaviour has been quite good. Occasionally I have been lost in thought and someone on the sidewalk has had to veer(vir) away from me. I developed an unhealthy obsession(əbˈseSHən) with seeing the baby foxes in my neighbourhood but I did not resort to dog treats to lure(lo͝or) them out and I did not loiter(ˈloidər) near their den(den). But I did make a point of walking by their den twice a day until I finally go for my iPhone money shot. (In my defence(dəˈfens), the mother fox did choose to have her kits under a major walkway adjacent(əˈjās(ə)nt) to a dog park.)

I work hard to not be a “Karen.” I stand patiently in line at the grocery(ˈɡrōs(ə)rē) store, I offer my hands for the spray(sprā)-on sanitizer(ˈsanəˌtīzər) with a smile on my face. I thank the check out people profusely(prəˈfyo͞oslē) and try not to touch the fruit(fro͞ot). Sometimes I do touch the fruit. For that I am sorry.

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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/first-person/article-am-i-a-karen/