Just Walk On By

I thought the essay, “Just Walk On By”, was very nicely written. The way Staples explained everything, but showed no resentment made the story stronger. If he would have been angry at the fact he was perceived as a bad person, I think I would feel like he is just complaining and he should get over it. However, since he is so calm about explaining himself, it makes me feel for him and for how unfairly he is judged.
It is just absolutely crazy to me to think that people would assume that he is a mugger, rapist, murderer, or anything else just because he is a young, black man. I would like to think of myself as a better person than that and not let myself form those ideas, but I don’t know if I would be able to control my thinking if I was alone in a dark street with someone. I know that sounds horrible, but I am sure many people would be able to agree it would be difficult to think very positive when it’s late and dark and someone is creeping along behind you. However, I do not think I would only form those ideas if the person following me was a black man. If I was alone at night and someone of any color, size, and age would be following me, I would probably pick of my pace regardless.
I can’t believe how fast people jump to conclusions! When Staples rushed into an office of the magazine he was turning in an article for, people automatically assume he was a burglar. Also, when entering the jewelry store, the woman quickly leave to retrieve her dog to scare Staples off. I am totally baffled but how insecure people in a big city are, but I suppose living in a very small town in which I know everyone, it is hard to think anything bad would happen.
Overall, I really liked this piece and I admire Staples for the way he handles himself. He is a very caring man, willing to do anything to make people feel more comfortable around him; the whistling is a very good tactic. I like how he approached the piece using the whole idea of being able to create space. It took the writing in a different angle rather than just writing about how he scares people and stories along with it. He was able to show how just his appearance could create space between him and someone else.