Tricycle | Awake in the World

“Man, Jarvis. Are you watching the news?” my new neighbor asked from the next cell one evening. I was relaxing, reading a book about meditation.

“I have it on, Omar, but I’m not really watching it,” I answered, glancing up at my television. “Why, what’s up?”

“Ah, man! Check out Channel Seven. They showing a Ku Klux Klan rally in Louisiana. Man, just look at all those Klansmen screaming and shouting all that white supremacy garbage. Get this: all these idiots is talking about how all the Jews and Blacks are destroying this country. Did you hear what they were saying?”

“Nah, man. I missed it. I have the volume turned down. I’m just using the light to read by. I did see a bunch of angry faces and racist posters, though.”

“Oh, OK,” said Omar. “Man, I apologize. I didn’t mean to take you away from your reading.”

“Hey, that’s OK. I don’t min’ you calling over to me about something big in the news. If you see something interesting, let me know.”