Life With Color – Part 3
When I started High School at Lubbock High some of my friends from Junior High went to three different High Schools. At Lubbock High I saw familiar faces of friends and kids we had played football and baseball against for the last several years. As I was in class I looked around at a diverse group of kids together to get an education. It was easy for me, because my older brother was a senior and most of the students knew who he was and were kinder probably than what most sophomores faced in their first year of high school.
As I made my way through High School I became close friends with the students from other schools. I got to know several who were Spanish and enjoyed their friendships. For a while I thought my name was “white boy.” Seems that is what I was called quite a bit and some of my friends were asked with they hung out with a white boy. I never really felt out of place because I don’t think I ever let their thoughts about me change who I was. There were a couple of times that were a little sketchy and I wasn’t quite sure how the day would end, but I always managed to talk my way out of whatever was going on.
I’ll never forget when one of my Spanish friends and his girlfriend broke up for like a week. We had art together and I remember him telling me they weren’t going out and that he wanted me to understand something. He told me he didn’t care if she went out with another Mexican, Chinese or black guy, but if she went out with a white boy he would make sure and hurt him pretty good. I laughed and told him I had already turned her down for a date. He looked surprised and then finally laughed. I always tried to use a little laughter to help people relax. It has served me well since my high school days.
I worked at a restaurant in Lubbock and worked with people from all sides of Lubbock. I remember there were a couple of cooks who were older and trained me. They were both black and we had a lot of fun together in the kitchen. I never thought about our differences, just that they were good guys who were teaching and training me how to cook. We had a lot of good conversations and I did what I continue to do, ask questions and listen. I learned about them and their experiences as they grew up in Lubbock. A kid my age who lived in Hub Homes, a low income property on Lubbock’s East side asked me for a ride home one night after work. He asked if I was afraid to drive into that part of town. I laughed and said why should I be afraid, I got you with me right? As we pulled into Hub Homes he tried to scare me by saying he had some people waiting on us so they could take my car. Then I laughed. His friends were going to be disappointed when they realized their big heist was 1974 rust Plymouth Duster. Worth less than the $600 I paid for a year before. I told him if he didn’t shut up I wouldn’t let him out but take him over to the Sonic on the West side of town and drop him off. He laughed not really knowing if I would do that or if I was kidding. I ended up giving that kid rides home a couple of times and we never had any trouble at all.
I learned throughout high school and working during high school was that respecting people of other races and where they come from goes a long way to diffusing any problems. We hung out together, drank together, played sports together and learned together. I never looked around and thought I couldn’t be friends with someone because of the color of their skin. I always found it interesting to hear their stories and experience life together. By the time I graduated I had no idea how high school would prepare me for the rest of my life. I would go to college in Los Angeles and my first job after college was in a church in Bellflower, California. I was working with the kids that were bussed into our churches from the surrounding neighborhoods. But that is a story for another time.