Yes, It is possible for a young black female democrat to be friends with an old white male republican.
So I’ve been gone for a minute, now I’m back with a tell-all. Sorry, I forgot my password and have been writing…offline. Outlines, scripts, proposals, the usual.
I know I’ve been going all out of order, but I’m going to try to split all this into several parts and put them in chronological order later.
Breaking News: Small towns suck. News flash: SMALL TOWNS SUCK! and did I mention small towns suck? Don’t you forget that small towns suck now. I’m about to go drop off all my luggage and visit my family in TX and then backpack to better major cities pitching to agents, working in hostels and be done with this town once and for all so I do feel safe writing about it now. Seriously It’s time I experience life as a minimalist. But before that, a little writing cleanse…
I had settled on a NW ILLINOIS small town and lemme tell ya—Small towns in blue states are worst than major cities in red states.
Did you hear that? SMALL towns in BLUE states are WORST than MAJOR cities in RED states. Say it with me…small towns in blue states…ah, you get the gist.
Let me repeat for my new English buddies overseas if they should stumble on this blog. TEXAS IS NOT THAT BAD! And we don’t all have strong southern accents. It’s just that I’m too artsy fartsy for Texas is all, (hell even Austin!) So I bounced.
Oh, did I mention I went to England for a couple months for the first time this Spring? That’s another story. Stay tuned.
Anyway, back to small town Illinois. Let’s call him…KURT. Kurt is a man with an extremely big heart. He may not have much, but it’s paid off. Those were his exact words when he pulled into his driveway after 3 hours worth of driving from Elgin to (meet me not necessarily in the middle,) pick me up and drive me 3 hrs back to his… home. “it ain’t much but it’s paid off!” I will never forget those words. Behind an RV which scared the shit out of me at first lies a humble house (PHEW!) with a spare bedroom and basement. In that humble house lives a guy with a great heart who unfortunately happens to be republican, but as long as he doesn’t talk politics I can get over it. He bought extensive land after his mom died and left him with some dough. All gone! Kurt’s not a saver, he’s a spender.
With the exception of 1 annual family get together a year, Kurt has no family to visit him and only his cats to talk to… (well whatdya expect when you live in the middle of nowhere!) until I of course answered his response to my craigslist ad looking for a place in Chicago. Oh he’s not in chicago, far from it, but I must have posted in Rockford section since I first wrote the ad when I was in Fox Lake. Thank goodness for itty bitty mistakes and that CL still had personal ads. We might never have met. He lives ways aways from Rockford. In the middle of nowhere.
He is 3 x my age, pale white skin, White hair, few teeth, bad hip. Me: dark black female, dark hair, healthy, has all her teeth—at the time (later a very painful root canal ended that shit). Oh we definitely drew attention when we went grocery shopping. Strangers would greet him but not me.
This scenario makes no sense in their head. I can’t be his caregiver? His employee, his PA? His daughter in law? His adoptive granddaughter? Only one scenario makes sense when one sees a young black female with an older white male.
Ah the speculations of coworkers at a corrupt cheese factory I would eventually work for (More on that corruption later). My goodness! You know how small town people have no lives so they love to get in everybody’s business? You’re not from around here, they don’t trust you. You don’t talk like them, they don’t trust you. They assume everyone is married or living in sin. So if you’re new in town, you must be a mail order bride or some shite. They must have thought I was the world’s dumbest gold digger as that dented van he’d always drive to drop me off at work is not a chick magnet in the slightest. They must have figured his ferrari was in the garage and this is his blend-in-and-don’t-get-attention van. Ha!
He told me about a time when he started dating black women in the 80s. This was after his divorce from 2 white wives. Way after his father— who told him “MLK is a radical, don’t listen to his speeches”— passed. He’d be rolling in his grave if he knew how many black women his son has been with since. Cops used to roll up on him in Elgin itching to arrest his girlfriend for prostitution as there was no other reason a black woman would be with a white man. In their heads, the only scenario that makes sense is that this is a financial/transactional relationship. Sad. Thus continued his humorous lack of trust in the police. and that’s not his first encounter with the law. Look I’m no anarchist, I’m not anti-law-enforcement, but this guy has got some stories that makes me want to write his memoirs! Or at least a fictional account to protect the 5th amendment he should definitely be concerned about. Anyhoo, back to the point.
I know what people think when they see a young woman with an older man especially those of the opposite race. I’m not stupid. Very seldom does one meet a guy who doesn’t demand that a down and out female tenant/roommate perform demeaning sexual acts in exchange for rent. FINALLY! I felt lucky. But he tells me he is the lucky one as he’s found his best friend. It’s sad that he’s caught feelings for me, but I had a mission: get a place, find a job, save money, get out. Originally the plan was to use that to pay off college fees and go back to school, but change of plans…I HAVE to travel! More on that later. Stay tuned.
wtfmimiwhy 