Sitting on the bus, he feels white, feels proud of himself for being aware of his whiteness, of pondering this fact as he shares the bus with people of color and poor whites.
Technically he belongs to the category of poor white--no money in his account, rent way past due; he lives in poverty, but his roots sprung up and reach back to the suburbs.
Not poor, just struggling to move on to the next step. He knows he will find success. He expects it; it is expected of him.
He is in this world, but not of this world
He can turn to scores of white people who will trust him, assist him, believe in him even though he habitually lies and steals.
And when he rises economically, socially, personally, will he acknowledge his privilege and the power given to him freely (but at great cost to others) or will he delude himself and us into thinking that anyone on that bus can do the same as he if they just try hard enough?
"I was there and I got myself out--so why can't they?"
But was he every really one of them, or just there for the ride?
Technically he belongs to the category of poor white--no money in his account, rent way past due; he lives in poverty, but his roots sprung up and reach back to the suburbs.
Not poor, just struggling to move on to the next step. He knows he will find success. He expects it; it is expected of him.
He is in this world, but not of this world
He can turn to scores of white people who will trust him, assist him, believe in him even though he habitually lies and steals.
And when he rises economically, socially, personally, will he acknowledge his privilege and the power given to him freely (but at great cost to others) or will he delude himself and us into thinking that anyone on that bus can do the same as he if they just try hard enough?
"I was there and I got myself out--so why can't they?"
But was he every really one of them, or just there for the ride?
Comments
I like the way you see things. I like the way you write.