General Discussion

But The Great Gatsby is reflection of my life.

My Gram Feathers was of that era - family owned silver mines. She told me to read the book every decade birthday. Promised me my perspective would shift as I grew older. I opened the copy she wrapped in brown paper with instructions to read it on my 50th Birthday. Brought it with me on our trip to NOLA to celebrate. Piece of paper stapled on the front:

"Last page there is a note. Do not read until the end."

Finished it sitting on my balcony at the Omni on Royal. The note?

"You ended up as Tom. Brutally honest. You are certain of your place in America"

She called it. People don't always like what I have to say, I can be incredibly cruel, I will defend my family's place in America. Black, European, Indigenous . . . land holdings, intergenerational wealth, the arrogance of Black Americans who stole the American dream.

That Scots Irish Protestant whose family were founders of West Virginia, abolitionists who fled west, whose father handed out CYANA cigars during his campaign but did everything he could to bring skilled Black Americans out of JC South to Denver? She was raised that Ellis Island destroyed the Black American dream.

When this regime falls -

“She was a careless person, Adrienne aka JAG she watched the others smash up things and creatures and then retreated back into her money or her vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept her people together, and let other people live with the mess they had made.”
― F. Scott Fitzgerald words altered from The Great Gatsby

I wash my hands. Have the day you folks voted for. Uncle Otis and Aunt DeOliver, and Dorothy - now all in their 90's. . . will have the best in home care money can buy.

Cruelty is in my blood.