30 years ago ...

I have fun at work. I always have. The pressure, the coworkers, the inappropriate comments from coworkers can be quite experience. Mostly, I like the fact because of these same coworkers, I have some pretty colorful conversations; many of which I use in my writings. Pretty much like I'm going to do now.

My coworker and I were joking around the other day about my home. He said he and his wife would move in, but not pay any rent and would need me to leave for a few days as they were throwing a party to which he said I wasn't invited and when I asked why, he replied, "Because it's 'Whites only.'"

I thought this joke was hilarious and so did he and after we finished laughing. He commented 30 years ago that would have been true and I was quick to agree until I thought about it and said, "Hey wait! I was born 30 years ago! We didn't have Jim Crow back then!"

We did have racism 30 years ago believe it and it's still here. The fact we have a black president doesn't really prove anything to me about the diminishing of racism. Just that some people are a lot better at hiding it now. I'm a skeptic.

I think when he said 30 years ago we both thought it that was a sufficient amount of time to span the time of liberal enlightenment to a more sinister, hateful time when my coworker and I couldn't even think about being coworkers let alone friends. We underestimated the amount of time.

I think I’m grateful he and I can joke about race. I think I'm a little ashamed for not noticing right off that 30 years wasn't long enough to make the point he was trying to make and with which I so readily agreed. I think that I'm thinking way too hard about this and am going to get a latte.