- The unique challenges Cadogan faces have to do with how other people perceived him. For example, in Jamaica he states he could have been shot if he wore the “wrong color”. He would make friends with strangers and talk with them for hours. He loved the “rules of the streets” and felt more comfortable there than he did at home. The contrast between his old home and how his new home created a feeling of curiosity. While he was in New Orleans, he developed skills in order to accept how people perceived him, “My survival tactics began well before I left my dorm. I got out of the shower with the police in my head, assembling a cop-proof wardrobe” (Cadogan, 2). He was able to handle himself based on his appearance to others.
- I have told myself that I can’t walk alone at night on campus. Even though I feel like it’s safe here, it is nice to have boundaries with myself. I will only walk at night with my friends around me as there is safety in numbers. Relating to Cadogan, I too have only been to New York a few times and every time feels brand new. It’s always exciting and has much to offer.
- When I was in Boston during sophomore year of high school there was a man that followed our group to the bus we had taken there. He tried to proposition the group about drugs and we all felt very uncomfortable. It was very strange to me that it had happened because it was during the day. I had always felt like that stuff had happened at night. It was very eye opening to say the least.
- Cadogan’s narrative tells me that wherever he was during his life, he experienced racism in different forms. For example, in New Orleans he was threatened to be shot at when he tried to help someone across the street. His first person narration made it able to insert myself into the larger picture of how prevalent racism still is in this country.
