My first job (Jackson, MS) working at an architecture firm (I had yet to graduate from MSU architecture school) immediately opened my eyes to the realization that I definitely WAS NOT the only "standout" (weirdo) within humanity. All in all, architects (& their employees) are uniquely observant / opinionated individuals, and I was no exception.
There was an early 30s designer (colleague of mine) who'd no formal architectural training to speak of. This man more or less held the position of marketing / copy editor on behalf of the sole proprietor architect whose name was over the door, yet his involvement therein was only the tip of the iceberg. Though he was a real oddball, his primary talent - laid bare - was his very gifted hand at understanding proportion, scale and color as it applied to most any style of building design. Hence, his input was seen as vital (& it most certainly was) to each and every set of schematics. And that's what ultimately kept him gainfully employed.
This designer wasn't at all unabashed. Though my chagrin teenage self sat in the way, way back of the drafting room, it wasn't unusual for him to make his way to my drawing board - on occasion - in order to chat. I distinctly remember one of those short exchanges having to do with him choosing to harshly rebuke himself for "going nuclear" on a fellow driver earlier that day. In a nutshell, this guy explained to me, in exacting detail, what had gone down relative to him being cutoff whilst returning to the office after lunch. Yet, he went on to admit that this shame-induced self-flagellation actually only occurred in proportion to the humiliation he described feeling upon realizing that the other driver was black.
Outright admitting to buying into this racially stereotypical (less competent) driver-centric aptitude came across as both audacious and outrageous to teen Rob. I was shocked, for I'd never heard of such outspoken (rationalized via moral reverse engineering) bigotry, but whilst looking back, I cannot dismiss how guilty I am today for thinking (and even behaving) along the exact same lines. And most of the time, not even realizing that I'm doing it (until I'm forced to marinate in its outcome / aftermath in lieu of brushing it off).
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Back in November 2023, my wife and I decided it was time to invest in a relatively small renovation project within our small abode. This 1,550 square foot home is +/-23 years old, and as such, it's showing signs of understandable wear and tear. Hence, these type of annual / bi-annual projects have been a priority throughout the past five years or so as we've attempted to stay ahead of Father Time / Murphy.
The interiors showroom that we worked with on some previous R & R projects was called upon likewise this time around. In the end, our focus ended up being to replace peeling / outdated vinyl wallcovering within our laundry room combined with upgrading all of our undercounter light fixtures (laundry room / kitchen).
The latter portion of our scope, due to it being electrical in nature, would be an easy accomplishment for the longstanding electrician we've relied on for years, but the former portion would require some fresh blood. For the last vinyl wallcovering installer we'd utilized (who executed phenomenal workmanship) had recently become disabled due to a back injury.
What to do?
Answer: Rely on a referral from our friends at the local interiors showroom, of course.
What possibly could go wrong?
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Seeing potential in men, particularly young men, is both my gift and default. For I'm an optimist relative to my outlook and always have been (which helps in this regard).
Within Samson Society, I love getting behind men and pushing. With just enough tension to assist them within their individual recovery. I do this via steadfast example / reliable demonstration (friendship) coupled with displaying rock solid interest in their individual story whilst never being hesitant to ask lots of questions.
The 95% of Samson guys are white. Too, the vast majority of men I engage with day-to-day are as well. Despite the fact that Mississippi is heavily populated by blacks (particularly the capital city, Jackson, which we live adjacent to) there're very, very few that orbit within Rob's sphere of influence.
Therefore, the question is as follows: Do I - by default - afford the same "potential outlook" onto black men (specifically young black men) as I do whites (particularly as a Christian)?
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The vinyl wallcovering removal / install laundry room project was eventually calendared for the first week of January 2024. The majority of my girls were slated to be vacationing in the Redneck Riviera during that time (the Primadonna went to Hawaii to "study abroad", but that's another story), and this afforded me the opportunity to manage the expected onsite mess / inconvenience alone (which I was comfortable doing).
Marvin (referred black vinyl wallcovering contractor) seemed adamant about affording himself the opportunity to examine the laundry room in advance of quoting the work (mid-December), but he never actually took the time to do this. Therefore, the first hour of him actually starting the project, he was informing me that he'd need to revise his quote. Keep in mind that I'd gladly coughed up a 10% deposit (based on the original quote) prior to him getting started.
Along with the revised proposal came a revised contract time (extension). Nonetheless, I was undeterred, for all this seemed reasonable to me, circumstances / expectations being what they were.
As the days of this first week of 2024 soldiered on, I'd routinely arrive home in the evening after work to only briefly look into Marvin's workspace (laundry room) out of curiosity. For the small crack in the door provided just enough proof that steady work was being accomplished.
From there, Friday eventually came, upon which he began hanging the new vinyl wallcovering.
When I came home that afternoon, he asked to be paid his final sum, under the guise that he would return Saturday to clean up / address punchlist items. He cited hoping to "get to his bank before it closed" with my final check as he bolted from our abode.
Stupidly, I'd not allowed myself to doubt his intent for I was so ready to be done with having him there day after day (it's important to note that I'd made little to no effort to develop any semblance of a friendship with him).
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One of the first home improvements we made to our abode 23 years ago was adding gutters and downspouts. The geotechnical report strongly recommended that we take immediate action relative to funneling water away from our home's foundation, therefore this was our initial investment therein.
The contractor we hired to do this work failed to complete the punchlist (or even acknowledge it), therefore I literally tracked him down - the very next weekend - at his own home in order to confront him firsthand. As a result of my tenacity, the very next day, he returned to complete his work, exceeding my expectations. I remember feeling not only satisfied but staunchly vindicated for doing this "obligatory moral follow-up".
Keep in mind that this contractor was very, very white (he even had red hair, he was so white), very articulate, and "no doubt" intellectually capable. And yes, I'd worked to develop some semblance of the rudiments of a friendly demeanor with him throughout the tenure of his contract time.
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Where are we at today with Marvin's work within our laundry room?
All of it has to be completely redone. The vinyl he installed must be removed with new wallcovering put in its place. The cleanup work that I had to do within the small space (throughout that following Saturday & Sunday) was extreme. Both the floor, doors, millwork, sink, small countertop were filthy with dried on solvent (wallcovering removal), drywall mud & dust. He exerted zero effort to clean up (though he'd informed me - in passing - that he would certainly do so).
This project was and continues to be an unignorable albatross that we've had to deal with. But it's also given me lots to think about (hence this post) which I'm grateful for.
When my sweet wife returned home (stepping initially into the laundry room from the garage with two of our three daughters), she began to weep. Thankfully, I was at work when this occurred. From there, she immediately began text messaging her husband (me) with high-definition photos of Marvin's shitty workmanship.
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I did send the beginnings of a punchlist to Marvin, but there was no response. And frankly, I didn't expect one. Nor did I take any initiative to track him down in order to hold him accountable. My wife did loop-in the owners of the interiors showroom, and they confirmed that we were one of many unhappy homeowners relative to Marvin's recent incompetency.
Why didn't I make any effort to hold this man accountable?
For the exact same reason my colleague chided himself for "going nuclear" whilst returning to the office from lunch.
Because he was black. And not just black, but Mississippi (stereotypical) black (unfairly lumping them all in together).
If I'm completely honest, I literally DO / DID NOT SEE HIM WITHIN AN EQUAL LIGHT (as I would a white man) regarding potential, value as a human being. In other words, LOST CAUSE is how I'd truthfully adjudicate Marvin. And that is a tough truth to admit to!
Hence, for Rob, it was simply easier to find another vinyl wallcovering contractor (who's white) to fix the below par work Marvin left behind. Cut my losses and move on (only to add one additional prejudice to my black / white scorecard).
My wife has asked me repeatedly, "Why did you pay this guy? Didn't you even take the time to inspect his work?" All I've been able to articulate to her in response is, "From the moment I met him, I made the subconscious decision to hold him to a much lower standard, therefore deciding then and there to simply prioritize enduring regret instead of keeping the bar intact."
Keep in mind too that I'm an architect. Let that settle in for a few minutes. For I couldn't even fall back on my professional credentials relative to overcoming my baked-in bigotry.
Oh, wretched man that I truly am. Color blind I am definitely not. Please pray that I repent from this elevated attitude / outlook.
