Hillbilly Elegy

Certainly not from Mamaw, who
demanded good grades, nor from Papaw.
But it was there, and studies now show
that working-class boys like me do much
worse in school because they view
schoolwork as a feminine endeavor. Can
you change this with a new law or
program? Probably not. Some scales
aren’t that amenable to the proverbial
thumb.
I’ve learned that the very traits that
enabled my survival during childhood
inhibit my success as an adult. I see
conflict and I run away or prepare for
battle. This makes little sense in my
current relationships, but without that
attitude, my childhood homes would