Eddards And Cities

Imagine some one some limited in experience that, to him, Anderson and Kokomo and Marion and Muncie -- all industrial small cities in Indiana -- were big cities.

As for bigger cities, either living in them or even going to them -- here was his reactions:

• Indianapolis -- doubtful.
• Chicago -- very doubtful.
• New York -- no way!

I didn't have to imagine such a man. I knew one like that. I'll call him Eddards.

He told me he couldn't live in cities like Indianapolis, let alone Chicago or New York, because there was too much traffic and that would drive him crazy. I also knew he couldn't tolerate the greater number of black people who live in those cities, but I kept that to myself. I didn't want to alienate him because of his racism, but I would try like hell not to keep in that much contact with him.