To Be Proud of a Trailer Park...?

DISCLAIMER: If you consider yourself "redneck", "country", or very "Texan" do yourself a favor and don't read this you probably won't like it.

West Texas is an interesting place. It has the biggest bluest skies, most amazing lighting storms and a sort of raw beauty to it. And you can see every single star in the sky at night. The people are friendly, polite and I have a bizarre sort of respect for the farming lifestyle. The diligence and energy you put into the land so that it can sustain you, its quite a remarkable lifestyle. It is understood by those close to me that I love Texas in spite of the people I'm about to describe. However, it can't all be big sunsets and desert rain. Every so often you run into some serious rednecks that can just ruin it for you.

I'm standing in my cousin's kitchen cutting up some avocado for my guacamole when out of the great West Texas desert comes a motorcycle. Its loud, manly and sitting atop is an attractive rebel country man. That thought didn't last long because he turned out to be the ultimate Texas stereotype. Guilty by association from the woman he came in with. I tend not to have very much to say to people like that for a number of different reasons. Mainly because we don't find the same things funny, have interest in any of the same things or do any of the same things.

The woman came in complaining because we were having margaritas instead of beer and saying that things that my cousin did were "so gay". I'm sorry, I thought that we decided 15 years ago that saying something was "so gay" was, not only politically incorrect, insulting, and unintelligent but also completely inappropriate in front of anyone. Additionally, since when do rednecks not love tequila? Wtf did I just miss?? Ok, Jess, no worries, brush it off, shes older and sometimes its hard to break bad habits. No worries, right? No. Apparently not.

It was at this point the story telling began. This woman had been in a bar not too long ago and had kicked someone out for not being from, been to, or lived in a trailer park. Now, based on the way she told the story, and how her boyfriend enthusiastically affirmed her actions, it happened exactly like it sounds. She overheard some guy talking in the bar and apparently didn't like the way he looked. I imagine it was just because his clothes weren't bought at wal-mart. So she asked the guy if he'd lived in a trailer park? No. Been to one? No. Then told him to get out of the bar. Oh. Dear. GOD. Please, please tell me where this bar is now, because I guarantee I am proud to say I have NEVER lived in a trailer park and I certainly don't want to be in a place where people would not like me because I'm middle class.

And here comes the personal pet peeve of mine: she doesn't enjoy leaving Texas. Don't get me wrong, I like Texas. But I can't, I mean CAN'T understand people who don't have a desire to see the rest of the world. I can't understand people who don't want to see other STATES. This woman sent back a burrito in the Albuquerque airport because it came with green chile. Uhhhhh...NM is KNOWN for their green chile, its what you eat when you go there. Its like, Chinese food in China, or Greek food in Greece, or Italian food in Italy. You get the point.

Here is the kicker, after about 3 drinks her and my cousin started playing tarot cards and the card that was supposed to demonstrate her impression on other people was "ignorance". I kid you not, I watched my cousin read it out of the little booklet.

My brain actually jams trying to understand people like her. Its not like shes not a good worker, mother, girlfriend, person, etc. Its just people like her and people like me will never see eye to eye. She won't get my jokes and I will cringe every time she calls someone "gay" when what she means is "bad" or "stupid". Likewise she will probably never understand why I want to leave Texas or why I go stir crazy if I don't hop on an international flight at least once every two years.

Guess were all made different for a reason, but one thing is for sure...those kind of people are why I will never be happy living in West Texas permanently.