You're Always On My Mind

A couple of weeks ago, I was in the Dallas Fort Worth airport with a long layover. I spent the time on my laptop, catching up on grading. Out of nowhere, a white man sporting a camouflage baseball cap and a khaki rucksack hitched over one shoulder began pacing back and forth in front of me, muttering, “nigger.” I rarely type that word out, I try not to ever say it, but sometimes, you need to say “nigger,” instead of “the N-word.” Sometimes, you need to represent the world as it really is despite the discomfort that reality may cause.

I thought I couldn’t possibly have heard that man correctly. It was the middle of the day. The year is 2013. The terminal was crowded. Then this man looked right at me, raised his voice, and said, “Fat ass nigger.” Yes, he was talking to me.