After taking the time to read and enjoy a few blog posts which other classmates had crafted, I came across one that I personally related to. In Lael’s most recent blog post, she discusses a dug-up driveway on Oak Street in the Village of Geneseo. Lael was able to creatively relate the unearthed driveway to the wild Bacchants running into the once controlled city of Thebes. I found this metaphor fascinating and dug deep to find my own interpretation of this specific driveway.
I too happen to be very familiar with Oak Street. I have four great friends that live on the street. Additionally, as a member of the cross-country team, I run down Oak Street at least twice a week to finish up my long runs. I am incredibly familiar with the street’s distance, sidewalk, houses, and general layout. Of course, since I usually approach it as a downhill, it holds an incredibly high place in my runner heart.
Even though I run on Oak street day after day and feel as if know the street well, I did not notice the unearthed asphalt driveway. After reading Lael’s post I was a bit confused. How could I have missed construction on a street that I run down all the time?
Later that day, the reason for my inability to see the driveway occurred to me. I was moving too fast to see that the driveway was broken. I am in no way saying that I was running at the speed of light, but my acceleration down the hill must have caused me to miss the sidewalk! It was simply a matter of speed.
While some people, like Lael, take the time and enjoy the scenery, most people are often in a hurry to get somewhere or say something. Although I was not pressed for time on my run, I was physically moving too fast to recognize minor details of Oak Street. This urgency people hold causes failure to recognize minute details of life. When I ran by the driveway, it blended right in. I moved too fast to see the underlying problems.
I believe that this concept strongly correlates with the character Ted Turner in the novel I Am Not Sidney Poitier and his ignorance or inability to see Not Sidney’s problems. Turner always seems rushed. His words tend to spew out without clear connection. For instance, in the beginning of the novel Turner hops from topic to topic stating, “Is that a Lego you’re playing with? I love Lego. Didn’t have Lego when I was a boy, had an erector set. You’ve probably never seen one. Used to cut my poor fingers on to kingdom come, blood all over the screws and bolts. Always loved building things. Are those brownies I smell?” In this excerpt, readers are exposed to Turner’s rapid conversation and inability to focus on a specific topic. It’s as if Turner is in a race to speak the fastest. Turner is essentially a person running down Oak Street.
Later in the novel, when Not Sidney tries to engage in serious conversation, Turner’s response is rushed. Not Sidney approaches Turner with the serious topic of sexual harassment. Although Turner makes it clear that he does not want to stand in as a father figure for Not Sidney, it seems only right that anyone would console Not Sidney and offer him advice during this time of confusion and harassment. When Not Sidney confronts Turner about sexual harassment, Turner responds, “Well, you know, that doesn’t sound too bad on the face of it, but it seems a little inappropriate.” He continues by asking Not Sidney if he wants a piece of gum and if Not Sidney gets lonely living in a mansion all by himself. Turner offers no sympathy, advice, and very little conversation on the topic that is on Not Sidney’s mind. Turner moves past this issue of sexual harassment too quickly to see that it is hurting Not Sidney.
If you move quickly past a problem, it may not seem so bad. However, like the incredibly broken-down driveway that I did not fully see, Not Sidney is upset more than what may first appear. At first glance, Not Sidney seems strong and unbothered by his teachers’ actions. Not Sidney seems to be making friendly conversation with Turner. However, as readers of fiction, we know that Not Sidney is genuinely disturbed with his teachers advances. If Turner were to slow down, look into, and study Not Sidney’s emotions, he may be able to truly see Not Sidney’s pain. In our life, it is important to take the time to look deeper into things, whether it be people or sidewalks, that may appear fine on the surface. Going off that, it’s important to check in with people that we assume we are familiar with, as sometimes it is the people, or sidewalks, which we are closest to that need the most help.
The next day, after reading Lael’s blog, I ran down Oak Street again. On this run, I took the time to scan the driveways and truly study Oak Street. Unfortunately, the driveway that Lael referenced had been newly covered with asphalt and completed. The important fact, however, is that I took the time to look.