Inside Voice Please

You have to admit, sometimes it’s quite entertaining when very young children blurt out embarrassing things in public. You know how it goes.
“Why do you have all those red lines on your nose mister?”
“Lady, why do you have a bald spot?”
“Hey, you’re fat.”, and other things like that. But it’s not so funny when adults do it.

I have a friend, a very close friend who I love dearly, who has no filter on his mouth. I’ve known him for thirty years, and you would think I’d have got used to his ramblings, but no. He still surprises me. This past week, we all went out to dinner, Mark, me and the friend. As we sat in the restaurant, the friend carried on a conversation with us, about sexual matters using very graphic language, and in a very loud voice. My take on it was that there was only one other person close to our table, and I knew I’d never see that man again, so carry on. It was when he turned to another topic that he caught me off guard. This is how I remember it, by which I mean, I don’t really remember what he was talking about, just the two words he threw in there.
“Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, niggers and spics, blah, blah.”
I audibly gasped and shrunk down in my seat. Oh, my god. Who’s sitting near us? Is there anybody black nearby? Did they hear that?

Well yes, a black man did hear it. After a couple of seconds I looked over at Mark to see what he thought of the nigger and spic shout out, and realized, He’s black! I then looked over to the bar, about five feet away, and the Mexican busboy was standing there staring at us. Mark, knowing my friend very well, let it roll off his back. As for the Mexican busboy, I’m not sure. Maybe the thirty dollar tip assuaged him, or maybe he didn’t even hear the spic comment. It just makes you wonder, how much spit has my friend eaten in his day.