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Welcome to The West

Posted by Eudaimonia 9 years, 9 months ago to Philosophy
42 comments | Share | Best of... | Flag

Two nights ago, Joan and I took Ron to the local American Legion post for a beer (his favorite thing to do).
Ron and I were playing setback when a legion member came up to the table and asked if we wanted to play cribbage.
For years, I had been looking for anyone who could play cribbage.
We invited the man to sit down with us.
He grabbed the cribbage board from behind the bar and sat down.
Greg was a Marine gunnery sergeant who had been to many hot spots all over the world.
He had on a cap which was issued to very few people, a Native American member of the US military.
Greg was a full Lakota Sioux, born on the reservation in South Dakota.
He still visits his mother there.
The cribbage board had three lanes colored red, white, and blue (we were in an American Legion post after all).
I pulled the pegs from the back and asked Greg what color he wanted.
He replied, "since I'm the 'Red Man", I'll take red."
I took his challenge and said, "Okay, I'm the European, so, I'll take white."
Then the game and the smack talk began.
As Greg pulled ahead, Ron commented, "It looks like you're going to take Rick's scalp."
Greg looked at me, then replied to Ron, "There's really not a lot up there to take!"
Joan jumped in, "It's all on his face now, you'll have to take the beard."
Greg replied, "Let me get my knife."
He fumbled a bit looking for his, so I opened mine and handed it to him.
We laughed, got back to the game, and the smack talk continued.
As the night ended, Greg asked if he could say a blessing over our car to get us home safely.
We said, "Yes."
Greg then began to sing in Lakota Sioux and blessed the car.

New home, new friends.

Welcome to The West.

All Comments

  • Posted by Notperfect 9 years, 9 months ago
    Humbled. This is the freedom that made America great. In my travels I see this all over these states and wonder 100 years ago people stood by each other in their tarry's because they were free to do so.
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  • Posted by jimslag 9 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Not really, Flake is in Arizona. Just joking but I know what you mean. Love the area around Yosemite and Tahoe, up north is nice also but LA and the SF Bay areas are bleeding blue with all the libs there
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  • Posted by RevJay4 9 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I recognize that ability, Littlered. Wife says I have the unique knack for ticking people off or making them buds. Oh well.
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  • Posted by RevJay4 9 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    The proper term for the left coast is the land of Fruits, Nuts and Flakes. The areas west of the Cascades are full of the Cali transplants and they make life miserable for the non-liberals. Still miss the scenery and the mountain m/c rides. Oh well.
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  • Posted by RevJay4 9 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    When we lived in WA state, over 20 years ago, there was a bumper sticker which read "Don't californicate Washington state". Lot of good that did, the libs moved in by the busloads. We left a few years later. Still miss it. Oh well.
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  • Posted by Robbie53024 9 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Correct! And most evil men lust to rule others. And will do anything to achieve that power.
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  • Posted by BH-Bjarni 9 years, 9 months ago
    Living in the western half of both Dakotas for all of my life - all family and friends were either a rancher or in the oilfield, This one hits close to home. The small communities were mixed blessing. I had a "leave it to beaver" childhood in some aspects, but we also had some aspects of " Pottersville" from It's a Wonderful Life. The Bakken influx of people is really changing the entire area with new money and blood. But reading many of the other comments - brought up other topics. Lots of people come out here to live this lifestyle. They leave "California" but they don't really realize that they still bring "California" with them... See Jackson Hole, Bozeman, etc areas...
    In the Dakotas - it's amazing politically how the Sioux Falls and Fargo's can override the rest of the state...
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  • Posted by Hiraghm 9 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Weren't the Cherokee originally on the east coast?
    We have a bunch of Cherokee here, but, y'know, this is the Indian Nations, after all.
    Blonde haired, blue-eyed gal Frito-Lay vendor I know at work takes pride in her Comanche heritage.

    Me, I take pride in my Neanderthal heritage...
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  • Posted by $ katrinam41 9 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    we haven't forgotten--it's just not politically correct to do so any longer... Hear, Hear to the Gulch and long may we keep that 1st Amendment alive!
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  • Posted by $ katrinam41 9 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Yes and yes--I miss the Olympic Peninsula for what it used to be. You have the boundary just right!
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  • Posted by $ blarman 9 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    The caveat to that is that most men of good will don't want to rule others - only to leave them to their own devices.
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  • Posted by plusaf 9 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    in 1978 I moved from NJ to Silicon Valley for a new job. My then-wife and I were astounded at the difference in the environment, which I described as "the roads are smoother, the weather is better and the drivers are SO polite and friendly!" On our first exploratory weekend there, we realized that we did not hear ONE car horn sound!
    in 2005, after retiring, my (new) wife and I moved to NC. Upon exploring the area prior to moving, I concluded that "the people were more friendly, the climate was ok (a/c took care of those complaints), the roads were smoother and the drivers more polite (other than a few morons, who show up everywhere.) And the only honking horns are brief, in order to wake up a driver in front of you who hasn't noticed that the light changed.

    Yep, the Coasts ARE quite 'different,' but immigration can have all kinds of influences.
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  • Posted by jimslag 9 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    The left coast is more and more not part of the West. I was stationed in the Land of Fruits and Nuts (California) back in the 80's/90's and I never considered living there, I was more than happy to leave. The Pacific NW is just another world and is nothing like the rural states, especially Seattle and Portland. The only place worse than Cali, is NY and NJ, been stationed in both.
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  • Posted by johnmahler 9 years, 9 months ago
    It brings tears to my eyes to see the 1st Amendment not only respected and upheld, but LIVED! Thank you guys. Death to PC forever! We don't have to go back to the degrading filthy speech of Mario Savio, but certainly smack an jive talk are not that in good fun. I know I sound like Don Quixote, but my unreachable star in my dream is the return of Amos & Andy, Sandford & Son, and the Jeffersons. Whiskey,Foxtrot,Tango have we forgotten how to laugh at ourselves?
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  • Posted by freedomforall 9 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Exactly right, and the reason why voting is a fools errand.
    It's time to banish the Dark Center from America.
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  • Posted by Herb7734 9 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I live in a middle class neighborhood and about a mile from my home is a park. It's filled with the usual park stuff, slides and see-saws and picnic areas. On any given weekend and especially on holidays as you walk along its trails you'll find families of all ethnicities, and colors. Latin music, hip hop, ballads, blaring from radios. the air is filled with all sorts of languages as the card players and horse shoe throwers speak and yell to one another. The kids run in and out and up and down and the odor of hamburgers, hot dogs and much more exotic foods fills the air as you walk by. You might find offers of food from several of the picnickers and need to dodge a football or baseball that flies by you. When I'm there, it's then that I especially love this country.
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  • Posted by LITTLERED1977 9 years, 9 months ago
    You sir, sound like a person who would make friends wherever you are. Great story. I also, in fact, make everyone I encounter happy. Some when they see me coming, and the rest when they see me leaving.
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  • Posted by $ Susanne 9 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Those who are IN power determine who gets to BE in power... It's the socialist way - the needs of the urban liberals outweigh the needs of the citizenry...
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  • Posted by $ Susanne 9 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    There are parts of Nevada I swear are clones of the cities in California west of them... There's a reason the state of Jefferson "secessionist" movement is gathering steam up here...
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  • Posted by NealS 9 years, 9 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I realize that, thank God, not all of it. Not even all of it near a big city of Western Washington. It is unfortunate this state only votes for the big "D's" even though almost everyone I know does not. Maybe it has something to do with my associations, or maybe it's the vote counters that determine the outcomes.
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