everyone else

  When I was growing up there were three classes of people. The were the poor people, the rich people and then everyone else. That's pretty much how it went on the eastern end of long Island in the 50's and 60's. And it wasn't that one group was any better than the other, it is just that they were in different financial circumstances. Now I didn't equate race with wealth or lack of it. It's true the black community, as a whole, was viewed as having less. I never questioned the reason for that, it just was. I knew a couple white neighborhoods that were in the same circumstance and never questioned that either. I guess I always figured that is just the way it was. No one was looking for excuses back then, mostly folks just accepted their lot in life and adjusted their dreams accordingly. Reality was a real thing back in those days, it really was. We lived with reality every day.

 That thought came to mind as I listened to some professor explaining income inequality. When I was growing up that wasn't a thing. Sure I knew that some people didn't make as much money as others, mostly because the others didn't have a job, and some made a lot more. The ones making more had college educations and worked in an office somewhere. Either that or they owned a business of their own. But the thing was it all depended upon what you wanted back then. Back when I was kid in 50's and 60's the black community had a thing for fancy clothes and fancy cars. That was the impression I got anyway. Yes, I know that is a racist remark, but it was the perception. Three piece suits and Cadillac's. Their homes didn't have white picket fences around them and certainly weren't anything special but they were home to those folks same as mine was. I grew up in the period of Soul train, Stevie Wonder, and Motown. Black power came later on. Us white boys were listening to rock and roll, growing our hair long, and being cool. Bell bottoms, Nehru jackets, tie dyed tee shirts and making the scene. And as a general rule everyone got along with everyone else. Well, until we didn't and then we would call each other names, the way children do, you know insult the other person. Everyone was aware of the various names, slurs, and stereotypical behaviors and generally kept them to themselves. Yes the white folks talked about the black folks, and the black folks talked about the white. Both were equally as guilty of that. I had friends that were black people. I never really gave that a thought though, they were just friends of mine. We were friends for a simple reason, we shared common interests. You could say a common culture existed between us. We liked the same music, liked to play the same sport, or had some other interest that we shared. No one was insisting that the other accept them, it was either you got along or you didn't. 

 The rich folks were the snobs though, everyone knew that. That was the only real prejudice I knew. They were the ones feeling like they were somehow better than the rest of us. Now those rich folks didn't do anything to me, that is to say prevent me from doing anything, but they had that attitude. Upper crust was a term used often to describe them. Ten cent millionaires is what I called them. They figured they were real special but I knew better. They figured the lower class existed to take care of their needs, you know, the menial labor. Some made a big show of being the "common" man but it was all show. That was the ones that would dress like a man on the cover of Field and Stream magazine to go fishing or wearing the gear from LL Bean to show they were real sportsman. Yeah, they were real dandies. They are the ones drinking Lattes today and wearing man buns. But I didn't feel like it wasn't fair, it is what was.

 Me, I lived in the world of the everyone else. I wasn't poor and I was told repeatedly, we aren't rich! I was taught you had to work for whatever you wanted in this world. Charity was a great thing to give but not so good to receive. You just learn to go without was the advice I was given. Over the years I have come to understand that completely. Today I have lots of things I could do without but am fortunate to have anyway. That is the result of working for them. The things I don't have, I really don't need. That's not to say I don't want them though. But there is no one to blame for that but myself. I've worked my whole life and managed to stay afloat. I'm still in the everyone else group. I'm not poor and I'm not rich. I'm calling it a success. Would it have been any different if I were a different race? I don't think so. But then I'm white in America and we all know that gives me the edge. All the doors were open for me. I went to school grades K through 12 and graduated. Well maybe that doesn't count because there were black kids in my class the whole way, they got the same education as I did. So, it must have been when I was in the Navy that I was given advantage. Well no actually I had to pass the entrance exam with a minimum score of 45 whereas minority candidate could score a 32 and be accepted. Well there is a quota to make you know, to maintain a balance between all races and genders, so we make exceptions to the rule. Those minorities could serve in all positions and at all ranks, slept in the same quarters as I did, ate the same food, enjoyed every perk and privilege same as me. So, it couldn't have been that I guess. After retiring from the Navy I got a job in the manufacturing world. I did receive a decent starting salary based on my naval experience and training, they never asked, but suppose they could see I was white. Was that an unfair advantage? Well, no matter I was hired. Now I'm retired after working for roughly fifty years and I'm told because of white privilege. If I had only known maybe I could have leveraged that into being rich! A missed opportunity? No, I think people pretty much get whatever it is they work for in life. I was raised to believe I was "everyone" else, not poor and not rich. There are rich people, poor people and everyone else. Race and religion are separate things altogether, they don't have much to do with being everyone else.