An internet user asked, “Am I a jerk for not changing my t-shirt after it offended my religious uncle?”. Here’s the full story for you to decide.
Backstory:
The Original Poster OP (18F) and her family went out for a meal the other day, as they are staying with OP’s grandma and uncle, neither of whom have any desire or ability to cook.
Since they had been traveling in the car all day for about six hours to get to where they lived, a notoriously uncomfortable activity.
OP Wore a T-Shirt
OP pulled on a simple comfortable t-shirt and a pair of leggings to meet them at the restaurant, as well as a hoodie to wear since it was raining (for context the restaurant they were meeting them at was Wetherspoons. Hardly fine dining and a t-shirt and leggings is 100% appropriate attire at face value).
OP’s Uncle’s Disapproval Of Her T-shirt
When they all had finished saying hello and everything and sat down, OP took her hoodie off. Her uncle looked at her t-shirt and immediately hissed at her, asking what she was thinking wearing a t-shirt like that in public and to go back to the hotel and change.
OP Refused
OP refused because she didn’t want to walk all the way back to the hotel in a thunderstorm just to change her t-shirt (the hotel is about a five-minute walk away but OP didn’t want to delay people getting their food for fifteen minutes while she walked there, changed and came back, and also it was raining cats and dogs).
A Bit About The T-shirt In Question
The t-shirt in question has a joking picture of the cover of one of those vintage kids’ books published by Ladybug in the 50s.
It says ‘Activities for children: Let’s summon demons’ and what looks to be some kind of satanic ritual happening in the middle.
It’s by an artist called Steven Rhodes who makes a lot of similar t-shirts and it’s the first one that comes up if you Google ‘Let’s summon demons t-shirt’.
A Bit About OP’s Uncle
OP’s uncle is very religious (Hare-Krishna) and refused to speak to her for the rest of the evening after telling her the t-shirt was extremely inappropriate for someone her age to be wearing anyway.
Honestly, that was fine by OP as all he actually talks about is his religion anyway so she just played hangman with her sister on the back of a kid’s menu until their food arrived.
What Happened After They Left?
After they left, OP’s dad said she really should just have gone back to change her t-shirt, and now he’s getting to hear a lot from OP’s uncle for allowing her to wear the t-shirt in the first place.
How Does The OP Feel About It?
“I hate to see my dad stressed and it really was only a short walk back to the hotel to change. From my POV I really don’t think the t-shirt is even that offensive.
However, I totally recognize that I might have been the jerk for being stubborn rather than just changing. My uncle is still refusing to speak to me and I’m wondering if I should have just caved.
Now, OP wants to know from the forum if what she did is right.
Theists Like Him Are Crazy
“Theists will seize on anything to have a dig if they’re so minded. Many aren’t thankfully.
It’s a ‘spoon. If he’s offended by your t-shirt, I dread to think how he’d react to the sheer amount of blow being done on the backs of the loos at all hours of the day or the sheer evil their kitchen can sometimes conjure up.
Hare-Kirshna is generally a lot nicer too. I got stopped by one whilst waiting to meet a metal band years ago. Got talking and he was selling books etc but also CDs from the Hare-Krishna metal band “The Gouranga Powered Band”.
Decent chap, very polite, wasn’t judgemental, and even got a couple of the CDs for sheer giggles. Your uncle sounds more like he wanted to just have a go at you, and your age, and this gave him an excuse to.”
Sounds Like You Won
“Your uncle refusing to talk to you sounds like a win. It’s ridiculous to expect you to walk in a thunderstorm to change your shirt because he didn’t like it. He can get over it.”
Your Uncle Seems Entitled To Hell
“You’re an adult wearing appropriate clothes and your uncle seems entitled as hell.”
People Should Just Mind Their Own Business
“No, you’re not a jerk. And I just googled that shirt, it looks kind of cute and nice.
People should mind their own business more and just stop caring about things around like a print in the shirt.
That’s nice of you, that you didn’t make them wait any longer for food, that would be more hurting.
And I know how much it can hurt to have a stressed dad, and maybe it will last even longer but all you can do about this is comfort your dad, say sorry to your uncle and just tell them all that you can wear what you want, in few years they’ll understand (but, probably, you’ll always remember all situations of that kind).”
Your Uncle Was Acting Weird
“Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, in a Wetherspoons will pay heed about what you’re wearing unless you are physically dunking your sleeve in their pint.
Your uncle is being hurt for nothing, he could simply have ignored it, and assuming you didn’t actually try to summon any demons at the table you did nothing wrong (unless you tried and failed to summon a demon, then something obviously went wrong).”
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This article was originally published on Mrs Daaku Studio.