Deeper Reflections

So maybe I will only be posting once a week. We'll see, I make no promises!

The last 9-10 days or so since I last updated have gone by so fast, and I can't believe I've been here 4 weeks already. At the same time it's going by so fast that I feel like I've been here a while, which I think just means I've really slipped into a routine and am feeling very comfortable in where I'm at.

This week actually marked the first "normal" week of the summer for me if such a thing exists. My supervisor was back this week and we got to talk about a few things and I really feel like I'm accomplishing some good tasks. I've stepped a bit in terms of leadership and supervisory/delagatory (not a word, I know, but it's my blog so :P) roles which is making me feel good too. I received my transition report for this upcoming fall for my RHD role back at UCM, and I think the combination of that and doing some concrete work here has established a sort of more mature demeanor for me out there, not that I've ever had a problem with maturity...

I have also been continuing to participate in interviews for positions here at UCM, which is proving to be some of the most interesting experiences I've had here. Positions are competitive here, and it isn't just that NYU demands more (which in fairness, they might), but they've developed this interview style that kind of allows them to cut through the crap and get to the actual answers they want, and it's very easy to tell when a person is being fake. Hopefully my observations in the process will help me when I'm interviewing for positions next spring. I can only hope!

A blog entry I wrote a few weeks ago mentioned that I had noticed that I thought I was the minority here in NYC. Since I wrote that I've really been reflecting on what that means to me and my environment, and whether my observation was correct to begin with. After being here a few weeks I don't think minority is the correct word to use here, as if I did that it would mean that I'm classifying all Caucasians as the minority while all other races would collectively join together as the dominant culture, which is wrong. So I'm not sure exactly what term to use, because if I still classify all Caucasians together against all the other races then "we" would actually be the dominant race. Still though, I've definitely reflected on my statement that when I was thinking of whites as the minority that I didn't feel like a minority, and I didn't even know what that should feel like.

Since I wrote that I've come to realize that I didn't feel like a minority because of my privilege. Even if whites/Caucasians were actually the minority, it wouldn't change my privilege. Because I am a white male from a middle class family in the suburbs of St. Paul, I automatically have a privilege that many other races and cultures do not have. I can still more easily get a bank loan, not constantly worry about if I'm being judged by the color of my skin, or suspect that I might be being treated differently because of my culture. I will still never understand the struggle that people "different than me" face every day, just because of who they are. As I continue to reflect on my experiences and my understanding of diversity and social justice issues evolves, I'm sure my time here in NYC will weigh heavily on my values system. I'm also sure I will continue to reflect on my observations while I'm here in NYC.

That was kind of heavy, so I'll end on a humorous note. One of my cohort members was here visiting yesterday, and while walking on the sidewalk a guy stopped to ask me for $1. However, it wasn't what you might think it was for. He asked for $1 so he could buy some weed. Yep, that happened. Oh New York, I love you...