“You’re really weird,” she said. “But I mean that as a compliment.” I have to admit, that set the hook. She wasn’t the type of girl I was usually attracted to. Punk rock girls did it for me, and she was more acid wash jeans and what used to call “Jersey hair”. Her long blonde hair was teased high and held in place by Aqua Net. It was 1986 and she and I were both freshmen commuting to the West Hartford branch of UCONN. After class one day she invited me to come home with her. 1/
It was totally innocent, because she, like most of the students who went to the branches of UCONN, still lived at home. She wanted to show me her town and introduce me to her mom. I left my car and she drove us. We arrive at the outskirts of her town. There was a lone Black man walking on the sidewalk. She says, “This is where the ‘N words’ live.” Except she said the word. Said it like nothing. Like that’s just what you say. I was horrified. 2/
@TessNam Oh, thank you so much!