Opus 2017-348: On the Street: The Good

I have been on the road for about six days.  We went to a wedding and stayed with the parents of the groom.  The core of the trip was to celebrate the marriage of friends we consider family and spend time building memories.  In the process I rubbed elbows with a cross section of America.  Some of the news is good.  Some is sad.

The good was personified in the person of a guy who represents the core of America.  He was a blue collar retiree.  He had worked his entire life in industry.  In the process he had raised and married off several children and moved into the joys of spoiling grandchildren.  He and his wife and worked hard and watched their money but from the stories I heard they were far from skinflints. 

They enjoyed life.  They helped others when they could and carried their share at all times.  He was a hunter, football fan and fast car nut.  He was a walking stereotype.  At the same time he was on his smart phone every time the conversation lagged.  He is an example of what has made this country the envy of the world. 

I found myself learning about parts of our culture I had never touched.  I watched TV shows that I will probably never watch again but I enjoyed learning what a flower car is and hearing about a motorcycle rally out in the middle of nowhere that drew 700,000 bikers.  I was shocked that a trip to Alaska to bag a moose cost $10,000.

I am guessing that he might think of himself as a Democrat.  He had been union all his life.  At the same time he seemed to agree with me on the big issues.  He is probably what the Democratic party used to be and has walked away from.  He was not from Texas but people like him explain why the big cities of Texas can be so liberal but the state can still hold traditional values.

There is hope out there.

homo unius libri