The Dreamer Poses a Question on I-85

I'm back after an 8-hour trip back to Charlotte. It was a pretty good visit, although it's good to be home. On I-85, between Greensboro and Charlotte, an interesting van passed us and I stared at it for some time. It was reddish-gold with a picture spray painted on the driver's side back window. It was of an man with dreadlocks and wearing green clothing. The passenger's side back window had a thought-provoking message: "White Art, Black Art, Why can't it just be ART?"

Why indeed? Why can't it just be "art" or "writing" or "a reflection of the Human condition?" Is it just a tendency to classify all things according to how they're different? The color of the writer's/artist's skin? A need to seek out people and objects which we're comfortable with i.e. the ones most like us? Is it a matter of convenience or something else?

What do you think?

Ironically enough, the driver's information was also spray-painted on the side window: "Robbie the Dreamer" and his phone number. Although we only passed each other on the interstate and didn't actually meet, he left a definite impression on me, not to mention a question to find an answer.

All original writing and art copyright A. Dameron 2000-2010