"just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had"
I think about this line from The Great Gatsby a lot. If I were more aware of all the lil things I've propped up here and there over my life to keep the crazies in, I would probably know it's some sort of zen centering chakra unpucker or something.
I wish more people above me on the advantage ladder had read that line and given it some weight, A banana for scale as it were.
In the context of the history of Africa, this line makes me sad to the core of my soul.
The way that African-Americans stand up to systemic, entrenched racism in so many facets of life that I can't even begin to comprehend, it is, and always has been, a source of awe for me.
Day in, day out, year after year, decade after decade, the machine grinding you down and you get right back up.
I would love to be facile and quote something deep now like Depeche Mode, because honestly, this pretty much sums it all up for me; AND YOU CAN DANCE TO IT, kinda.
People are people, so why should it be,
You and I should get along so awfully?
Really I could have saved a ton on education because that gem came straight from the radio for free. How did everyone else not get this vibe?
But really, here's the vibe: American Jazz