Dad, You’re So White
On the way to dinner the other night, Hot Chocolate’s “Every 1’s a Winner” was on the radio. What a great old ’70s jam! I listened for that awesome keyboard transition in the middle, then turned it up and exaggeratedly “played” it on the dashboard.
[sws_pullquote_right]I wonder, and fret some, about how our boys handle the potentially mean streets of their peers. I remember that in my childhood, a lot of it was wrapped up in that idea of “cool.” [/sws_pullquote_right] Aaron, surely after an eye roll I didn’t see, said “Dad, you’re so white.”I thought about that for a sec.
“What does that mean? I’m just not worried about looking cool. I’m comfortable in my skin.”
“Which is white.”
Bam! Walked into that one.
I wonder, and fret some, about how our boys handle the potentially mean streets of their peers. I remember that in my childhood, a lot of it was wrapped up in that idea of “cool.” Hey, that kid doesn’t have cool shoes. Let’s make fun of him for it until he goes somewhere else. Then, let’s make fun of him for running away until he cries. Then, let’s make fun of him for crying.
Senseless? Check. Mean? Check. Can’t exactly count on them being little bundles of empathy, can you?
I haven’t noticed any signs of the boys being picked on in such a way, or if they are it slides right off. (Good for them if that’s the case. I didn’t always do so well with such.) Really, over the past year or so Nathan appears headed for about nine feet tall, so my days of worrying about him (about this, at least!) are waning anyway.
Also, their friends reassure me. Whether from school, church, or both, they seem like a solid mix of well-adjusted kids who are successfully navigating the mean between knowing what’s cool and also knowing that it doesn’t genuinely matter. They seem like they’d gig me playfully for dashboard keyboarding. But they’d also realize that such an expression of joy is healthy.
(Said the rationalizing, uncool dad.)
Lifelong Alabamian Bo Williams is a Christian, husband, father, writer, and human trafficking activist. He has strong opinions on many things, including good food, IndyCar racing, and the importance of high-quality socks. You can keep up with him day to day at BoWilliams.com.