I’m pretty acutely aware that as a straight, white, Protestant man living in America that I’m living life on the easiest difficulty setting. I don’t resent anyone or any group for making my life harder than it has to be. Even the negative impact of the political right leaves me mostly untouched. I can’t honestly say that I’ve ever missed an opportunity because it was given instead to a woman or a minority, although I could be wrong about that. If it turned out that I had been passed over because of my race or gender, however, I’d shrug it off and take advantage of the next opportunity that came along. There’s no shortage for people like me.
So, really, I have no sympathy for Max. I don’t think it’s hard out there for a white man. Not because they’re a white man, anyway. Lately, I’ve been feeling like life has me pinned down with sniper fire. I can’t get my head up without some dangerous projectile coming at me. But this is more a confluence of crap coming due all at the same time, and it has absolutely nothing to do with my identity. It’s a down cycle of life that will hopefully turn over to more positive things shortly.
One thing I’ve felt for a while and has really been reinforced for me lately is that bitterness is the nastiest most toxic emotion, and, fortunately, it just isn’t a disposition that is in my makeup. I know there are things I could be resentful about and other things I could beat myself up over, but none of that comes naturally to me. I just wish I could figure out a cure for these maladies in others, because they just eat people up and destroy them.
