My Friend Treanch

I love to talking to Treanch because he has a perspective of Black male America I would never understand. Recently, a manager of our quit. This guy made Treanch's life Hell. I told him that he should report it to human resources. The manager was a middle aged White guy. He got on my nerves too...but he set out to get rid of Treanch. At first, I'd chalked it up to racism. I'm pretty sure this guy didn't like any Black person. I'd test the waters by suggesting him some "Black themed movies" I'd just seen. And I'd see his expression change. It was my entertainment. Anyway...he'd get on my nerves a lot...to a point where I'd talk shit to him. Like...borderline firing offensive. To which he'd wave me off and walk away. We had too much dirt on each other.
So, asking Treanch why he never fought back...he told me a simple thing that still resonates with me..."see, sounds like you got stuff already lined up. I had some real shit jobs, and to get into it with him would just make it easier for them to fire me, and I don't got shit that I can get as easy and not the same."

Okay...he was implying the reason I can talk shit is because...I didn't need the company and any company would hire me (totally not true). But therein lies the subjugation of Black males . The idea that something can be taken away and they had no other option. Fascinating. My dumb hothead ass never thought this way because...he's right. With my background and ethnicity...it wouldn't be a comfortable shift, but I did have an infrastructure of friends to continue if need be. His friends were telling him the same thing. I was floored by this simple yet poignant fact of maturity that men his color and age do not see. And that's when pride overtakes common sense. He had tons of people in his ear about this situation. He shared with me his philosophy of why he didn't retaliate. A fear of...society. a paranoia that he will always be painted the assailant. I've always told him when shot went down, I'd be in his corner...and I meant it. Not because of color, but because you can tell good people from bad.

Treanch had opened my mind to the idea that maturity should trump pride, ego and sometimes...your own entitlement.