Ok, but we can also take some pressure off people by doing some research on issues as well. There are people already talking about their life experiences, and their stories are out there for the reading: What is it like to be black in America? What is it like to be a donor conceived child? What is it like to be ____?
Some people stare or back away from me as if I’m infectious. (They think I don’t see them, but I do.) There are also people who overcompensate in their kindness. Once, I asked this woman for directions, and she proceeded to lead me, step by step, to the front desk of where I was going. When she tried to take over, I had to tell her firmly that I was fine and that she should go on with what she was doing. Her intentions were good, but overweening kindness is almost as insulting as people who flinch.
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Interesting. Yet another resource I didn’t know about. Thanks!
FWIW, here’s an interesting tidbit about the South Africa sketch I linked to:
Bizarrely, the BBC initially refused to broadcast the show, not because
of the racist language but because they felt it was unfair to the South
African police force, who were portrayed as violent and, well, racist.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1331874/Has-BBC-got-grudge-Goodies.html#ixzz46AVB6shJ
Again - we never know which direction we’re going until we get there. 
Right or wrong, it’s the destination that dictates everything, including the past. And when we get there lots of people have to readjust.
Also, some more context (because I really don’t want people to have the wrong idea about the Goodies, fifth in my Top 5 Personal List Of Best Comedians This World Has Ever, Ever Seen And Is Not Likely To See The Likes Of Which Again):
And another surprise: the comedy team prepared to use this language was
so opposed to apartheid that they made a point of banning the sale of
any their programmes to South Africa.
(FWIW, my pantheon of comedians is, in this order: The Marx Brothers; Chaplin; Robin Williams; The Pythons; and The Goodies. I rank the Pythons and the Goodies very closely, but still put the Pythons a step above)
That’s just one site that came up in search results. There’s loads of other interesting stuff out there. But, you’re welcome.
Right or wrong, it’s the destination that dictates everything, including the past. And when we get there lots of people have to readjust.