My parents did not realize they were putting this horrible burden of shame on me. They taught me to: work hard, read books with hard covers, accept responsibility and blame, keep my word, never ever quit in tough situations, be loyal to family, friends and employers, dream big, treat people with respect, help the needy, love animals, take care of resources and tools, wear clean clothes and brush my teeth. They thought their values were mainstream, the product of the reformation, renaissance, and the sermon on the mount. How silly of them to not know they were evil misfits.They did not know that their examples would condemn me to be an “oppressor of the less privileged.” They also did not know that following their values would cause me to owe reparations to folks who did not have my “undeserved privilege.”
It seems the only absolution available to me is giving all of my possessions to the government for distribution to the oppressed and hiding, so that my values and behavior cannot continue to contaminate the lives and culture of around me.
In spite of my codependent need for the approval of my culture, there is something deep inside of me that responds to the franchised guilt purveyors by standing up, balling my fists, and saying “When hell freezes, or maybe a few weeks later.”
— Fred Dyson
Eagle River
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