I was just casually talking with my mostly white, white collar coworkers about drug legalization. I made an offhand joke about how nearly all my old school friends dealt drugs, mostly just weed, at one point or another to make ends meet.
Shocked silence. Mumbles. That weird pursed lip thing that white, white collar types do.
Luv 2 not be able to make friends at work because of a fundamental disconnect between our formative experiences. Luv 2 probably have just hurt organizing efforts because I spooked the people I’m trying to organize :deeper-sadness:
Yeah, being constantly around white collar professionals really made me so acutely aware of all these critiques of the emptiness of suburbia. But in terms of relating to them, it essentially boiled down, “oh these people are very easy to relate to if I just assume life revolves trying out new restaurants and escape rooms and politics is just entertainment where I feel inspired by Butigeig or horrified at the Orange Man’s rudeness”. It might be that I am less threatening since I am a very nerdy white guy, but I also get weirded out by the opposite reaction, where stories of getting in brawls with meth heads and dealing with family members being busted for drug possession are treated with a strange fascination.
is that some zoo animal type reaction or…? I love hearing shit like that but I’m also the type who isn’t made uncomfortable by this
Yeah, it is kind of hard to explain but just a fascination by the stories and bringing them up again that just comes off as weird, also simultaneous mixed with judgy undertones for the latter type of stories.
I’ve only seen this reaction a few times, mostly vicariously. Like one time me and a couple friends were laughing about the times when dates had turned into drug deals, and the then-partner of one my friends insisted we tell them “more crazy stories.” Flattering, in a way, but also :what-the-hell: