Citizen
David Foster Wallace on the burden of citizenship
Dear Bolu,
Recently, I came across an excerpt of an interview by David Foster Wallace where he talked about reading, consumerism, and (American) politics. I’ve parenthesised “American” because his commentary generally applies, especially today when politics is both local and global. Although he gave the interview in 2003, he could very well have given it today and it would still be relevant. I’ve embedded the excerpted video below, but here is the link to the full interview. I’m sure you’ll find it interesting.
Of the thoughts he shares, I want to highlight his mention of the word, “citizen”. It’s not a word I’ve thought seriously about, even though it governs my very existence. Wallace describes the role of a citizen as involving, among other things, understanding your country’s history, and taking the trouble to learn about candidates for political office, which means often reading stuff, which isn’t fun—sometimes, it’s boring.
By Wallace’s account, I do not think I have been a very good citizen. While I know of the struggles of my people, I do not think I am deeply aware of them—of the whys and hows and whens. Most of what I know, I’ve been fed. And when you’re fed, you’re given a portion, not the full plate.
The country hasn’t helped much, either. Hope has become a scarce resource, and whatever shall the hopeless preserve but their own lives? For a lot of us, the colours of our national flag have been green, white, and red for some time. You didn’t need to think about it to see the image, did you? It’s there, in our collective psyche, a visceral reminder that our old bonds of freedom, peace, and unity no longer hold. Even now, I read the news: over 150 people reportedly killed across two states. This is where I am a citizen, where the red deepens its hue every time we see the headlines.
I like that Wallace qualifies learning as “taking the trouble”, that he acknowledges that reading stuff can sometimes be boring. It is trouble. It is boring. And yet, it is part of what it means to be a citizen. I hazard a guess that one of two things will happen when I learn to answer more questions about my country’s history. Either I become a better citizen, finding more ways to play the role, or I become the man who thought he’d lost all hope, only to lose the last bit of hope he didn’t know he had. Whatever the outcome, I hope to write to you about it someday, dear friend—one citizen to another.
Fin.
P.S.
It is always comforting, the realisation that people before you have been confused by your present confusion and have asked the questions you now ask. The little light at the end of our dark, winding tunnels may be just a book, a conversation, or an essay away, in the mere articulation of our condition.
Thanks for reading! I’m delighted you made it here. If you liked this issue of Dear Bolu, you could sign up here so that new letters get sent directly to your inbox.
If you really liked it, do tell a friend about it.
Also, remember to leave a like or a comment!
Write you soon, merci!
- Wolemercy