Shoulders

 Shoulders: What are the burdens that this character must carry?

Life on the ranch can be such a burden. I constantly face racism and isolation, but at the same time, I embrace those things. I cannot let them bother me, but they do. Certain things dredge up these feelings in me. Today I was walking by the bunkhouse, and I heard Candy talking to the two new guys. I heard him say "Ya see the stable buck's a nigger... Nice fella too. Got a crooked back where a horse kicked him. The boss gives him hell when he's mad. But the stable buck don't give a damn about that. He reads a lot. Got books in his room." That killed me. He called me nigger just like they all do, but then he compliments me on my reading and my ability to withstand the boss' wrath. I don't know what to make of these men. 

I hate that he mentioned my back. The racism isn't enough. They have to bring my crooked back into this too. It is as if the weight of all of this is only making me more crooked...