Member-only story
When you read my words, you are gaining insight into the thoughts and ideas of a middle-aged man who was brought up as the oldest of three by two educated parents in a Midwestern City.
I learned middle class Midwestern ethics without knowing that I was for many years, which led me to grow up to be a similar guy to my father and grandfathers before me now that I have attained middle aged status.
I was raised as a non-religious Jew, the member of a large and close-knit family comprised of aunts, uncles and cousins galore, and I always tried hard in school and sports. My brother and I grew up playing baseball and basketball in a highly integrated community, where most of the best basketball players were and remain Black. I use the term “Black” rather than African American because I grew up in a City where that is what they called themselves and each other.
Realistically, they called each other the “N Word” much of the time, but as a white guy growing up playing sports with them, it was not an acceptable thing for us white guys to say back then, either.
I ran cross-country and track throughout high school, took all honors courses and two AP courses, since students did not take six or eight or ten AP courses like they do now.
