Do you think you (dick-less wonder) have the answer?

Once again I seem to have parked my truck were everyone working out has a good view of the back and the “End Violence” side – this time from the 2^nd floor.

A clean-cut white male in maybe his 50’s walks over to nonchalantly stand in front of me to peer out the window, making a show of getting closer to read my truck. When he swings around, I think he is either a gay boy or a cop – so could be pro or con.

He approaches me and begins talking at me even tho I’m listening to a book and working out. I motion for him to wait a minute while I pause my story and catch what he is asking me.

“Do you think you have the answer?” he demands with that immense condescending self-righteousness that white men have down so naturally and completely. I smile in what I hope is a disarming way as I bite off so I don’t have a fucking dick so I can’t possibly have answers.

Instead I tell him I have lots of answers but what is the question? He waves vaguely to my “End Violence” side of the truck and again even more haughtily asks me if I think I could possibly have an answer – and I assume it is to ending violence against womyn and children.

I look him directly in the eye and say of course I have answers but he is asking the wrong question. I now have his attention as he asks, oh yeah, what is the correct question? I say you need to ask if we WANT to end violence against womyn and children; if we WANT to end the violence of war, of poverty, of racism, of sexism, of prisons.

He then sneeringly asks me if I think my answers are right.

Really man? I tell him I’m 66 years old. I’ve spent and spend my life studying, researching, talking with people, walking in other people’s shoes, traveling, engaging in dialogue, critically thinking, problem solving. Of COURSE I have answers that are right.

I ask him did he want to end violence? I leave it open as he nods and says of course he does. I don’t need to ask him if he voted to make amerikkka great again so instead I ask him if he sees amerikkka becoming great again since the inauguration.

He shifts slightly, lowering both arms, hands extended palms patting downward, and lets me know that the past 8 years we’ve dipped very, very low and so it will take time for tRump to get amerikkka back on course but he’s made a great beginning.

I try to keep a neutral face as I ask him if he’d let me interview him about what he sees happening to make our country great. He backs off rapidly, shaking his head, no, no, no and I practically beg him to allow me to record him. I try flattering him, telling him people around the country want to know what he’s thinking, what the average amerikkkan is believing but he rapidly slinks off and melts into the rows of machines, still shaking his head “no”.

I think my timing was off. I should have found out first what he considered great and then asked him to repeat it maybe…