[CC19339]

There’s more than a grain of truth in the comment of Phil R.’s friend, but “not trained to waste time” distorts the reality. I believe Phil’s friend may be referring to a cultural reality that is not “recreationally oriented.”

It’s been my general observation that white American culture has an appreciation for fun and “idle pleasures” like drinking at singles bars, sun-bathing, joy-riding, etc., that is not enjoyed in black American culture. I’ve felt that the white American preoccupation with pleasure is a carryover from the sense of entitlement that historically was bred into the Anglo upper classes and which necessitated the English servant class and eventually the African slave trade.

On the other hand, black Americans (being forcibly divorced from their cultural roots of their African pasts) trace our cultural reality largely, where not exclusively, to the Euro-African slave relationship, wherein the African and later the African-American reality did not include a sense of “pleasure” or an entitlement to anything even resembling recreation. Therefore, Phil’s friend’s statement, made just three generations post de jure emancipation, is not surprising. My 77-year-old mother has never taken a “vacation” in her life, has associated a “need” for a vacation with weakness and has inculcated a sense of guilt in me when I take a “mental health” day from the job.

User Detail :  

Name : CC19339, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 44, City : Northern New Jersey, State : NJ, Country : United States, Occupation : Attorney, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,