We are the Champions

A certain person wanted to know where I've been and it gave me an idea.  I should tell you about it.  Around town, my hometown, doing the things you do here.  Hanging with the family and going to community events.  For instance trying to get a pic of the boys for Christmas Cards. Now I just have to pick one.

I have a lot of family here, most of my aunts and uncles, both sets of grandparents and a plethora of cousins.  No really, if I liked a boy in school, I double checked we weren't related in some way.  My dad has 50 first cousins on one side!

My great-grandparents homesteaded here in the 1890's and while I never thought I would move back here it has a certain charm. There is comfort in that history.  People joke you cannot escape being from here.  I guess it is true, even when I didn't live here, when asked that is where I was from and it usually garnered a response. That town smells (we have a large refinery here.)  You guys have a good football team, or I stopped there once on our way to Carlsbad Caverns (the next town south), and it stinks there. 

If I said one thing this town for, it is undoubtedly football.  Have you ever seen that movie FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS?  It is bit like that.  In fact this past weekend we won our 26th state championship. Which at last count ranked us the 5th most winning high school football team in the nation. The mortar shells from the fireworks during the game going off sounded like we were being invaded.  They do it up big here. You must wear orange and black on game days.  No really I think you can get arrested, I have never tested it but it would seem to be the case. ; )  The town population is around 10,000 and there are around 12,000 people sometimes at a big rivalry football games.

Here's a video highlight for you, from when ESPN filmed one of our games earlier this year. (Sorry I don't know how to make it play on MSN yet) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCNGkT0JpwI

 

While I know at times growing up, I somewhat resented that all encompassing passion for football, it took moving away to appreciate the generosity and spirit of this town.  I never realized how much more support we had compared to other places.  While I recall feeling neglected as a girl athlete (compared to the boys), talking with other girls we had much nicer things than most other schools.  Same with the school newspaper, we had nicer equipment than the first college newspaper I worked on. The music department has a beautiful auditorium to hold plays and concerts.

While these are just things, there is just a great spirit of community. Whether your house catches fire and four volunteer fire units show up at your house, or you kid gets cancer and everyone gets their car washed to help your family out. I am not going to pretend we don't have problems because we do.

Then there are the simple acts of generosity, I found out this week my son is getting a new bike because the employees of the refinery are giving all 202 kids at Headstart a new bike for Christmas.  Wow.

Sometimes I miss the selection of restaurants, the big chain stores and stuff.  However, there are much some more precious commodities here. I rarely feel anomalous here, wether I know the people around me or not. Generosity, spirit, community,  it's not bad here where I am at.

Do not pass go, do not collect your $2M.

I don't want to start off with an apology, lets just say I had a serious case of writers block.  Or that I have been helping you learn patience, because I am helpful like that  Besides by now I think everyone is used to my prolonged absences.

I have learned a few things in the last month or so.

While I am so white it is my last name, apparantly that does not mean my white blood cells are of a superior quality.  I had a sinus infection/cold that kicked my butt for two weeks solid and $300 uninsured dollars later I finally got some aid from those lovely little antibiotics.  (Community Chest: You are screwed without insurance and must give me all your money.)

I am offically too old to stay up later because it is daylight savings and I get to sleep in  an hour later in the morning.  Two major flaws, I was falling asleep while trying to stay up with the big kids and play monopoly and then the little kids are still getting up at the same time which now translates to 5:00. Yes that is in the am. (Chance: You are too old to be cool and must give the bank back your mp3 player, you probably don't know how to work it anyway.)

The new monopoly is kinda cool, but  inflation has gone up.  You now get $2 M when you pass go.  Instead of Railroads you have airports.  FYI, it is still wise to buy those up.  My lucky Sister-in-law  landed on three her first time around and then we had to pay her  a cool million every time we landed on one.  Oh and the credit card debt and back taxes kept getting my husband.  (Review: Monopoly when you are a kid is fun, now it s frightening!)

If you loose your fake front tooth (that was removable) you will have to be embarrassed for a while, as you wait to get into the dentist.  That was an experience in humilty I'd rather not repeat.  A hard lesson learned about what happens when you don't have all the work done before you switch insurances.  $3K vs 1K seems like a bargain now and a little like that damn Monopoly game. Not that it mattered by the time we got the work done our insurance was gone. (Community Chest: Next time make the trip to Juarez Mexico.)

FYI when you finally get the tooth all repaired, your glasses will inexplieably split in the middle of the nosepiece.  Despite being seen in movies and TV, band aids don't work. to fix that.  A dremel and a piece of metal wire and some super glue are helpful but not completely as super glue isn't all that great at plastic.  Lesson learned, some people will still notice and laugh at you. Make plans to sell that kidney you weren't really using.  (Oops you just landed at Eyemasters, prepare to empty your wallet again.)

Ironically McDonald's has their Monopoly game in October too,  My husband gained at least three pound trying to win by eating lunch there when we had the dough.  Only to win the damn game, not because he likes the food.  Then he had a heart attack and we couldn't afford the bill and had to put him down.  Okay I am just kidding about that.  I wouldn't put him down.

Personally I am going back to candy land.  It doesn't mirror real life.

I'm so White it's my last name?

Race.

It's swirling around in many of our heads.

I keep wondering why I even need to write about it, when others seem imminently more qualified.

I know in many ways I could live my my life and not even be negatively effected by it, much less affected.

We (my husband and I) joke about being white all the time. I should clarify it really is our last name. Stinking white people. Dirty white boys and the abovementioned title are some of the things flung around in jest in our house.

I cringe inside a bit everytime I write my name on the board. Somehow it brings up those stupid fears of being racist in me. Why? I guess because I don't like think I am so white it's my last name.

I have a mean Spanish accent. Go ahead throw Estrella, Espirion, or Xochitl at me, I can say it. I rock at calling roll. I can cook and eat chile hot enough to burn you twice. I still listen to my favorite Latin music all the time. One kid last week made me smile after roll call when he said, maybe you aren't so white after all Miss.

I see the disparity in the class rooms. The difference between the white kid with the smart mouth or the Mexican kid who doesn't feel like he's expected to achieve. How the classes that aren't in the college prep track are predominately one color. I asked the kids in Environmental Science last week if they knew how much money an Environmental Scientists earns, they told me: We aren't going to college Miss, we are just in here because we aren't smart enough. I suggested maybe college wasn't out of their reach.

Even though I realize all that, I don't know what it's like to be a Mexican American. I realize I have an easier pass than many, because I don't have to fight to get my foot in the door. No one looks at me and assumes I am up to trouble, or there to apply for housekeeping.

Tonight I sat in a room full of parents for my son's preschool. I was in the minority by far. Everything was dual language because they want all parents to be able to participate. (By the way New Mexico is a dual langage state, we have two OFFICIAL languages.) I have to admit I wondered if the other parents wondered why I was there. Why had I enrolled my kid at headstart? Did I lie to get in?

The reality is that I was looking for a real preschool to take Z too since he is 5 but missed the cutoff for kindergarten. The reality is I couldn't afford daycare much less the very exclusive and expensive preschool in town. Since we had taken a huge pay cut moving here I thought I would try qualifying for headstart. We were over because of last years income, but they have to take a few over-income kids, so we got lucky.

I felt a stab of guilt, maybe we are taking a slot of someone who deserves it more. I felt guilty because if I had asked Great Grandma or Grandma, they probably would have helped pay for a school. My husband asked me why didn't our kid didn't deserve to get in?

A few people turned their noses up and wondered why I wanted him to go there. Didn't I know they only take poor kids. (i.e. Mexican kids?)

My hope is that Z not only improves his readiness for school but also learns to appreciate the other cultures here. I hope he remembers being the minority and what that feels like if you get excluded because you are white, brown or purple. I still remember the sting Gringa had in grade school, when I learned someone would make assumptions about me without knowing me. Not knowing I didn't count myself better and my best friend and I enjoyed hot tortillas off the griddle, frijoles and chicle. I hope he learns being a Gringo isn't so bad and neither is being a Messican. I hope he learns that privilege shouldn't be related to the color of your skin, the sound of your last name or the size of your bank account.

There is such a thing as too much togetherness!

I am having trouble deciding where to start.

Do I explain my absence?

Do I start in on a heavy topic?

Go for the funny?

I guess I'll start with the first and decide on the rest later.

I realized it has been a few days since I have posted. *ahem weeks*

No one has left me any desperate inquires. *knock knock are you still alive
in there?*

You may have thought I joined the ranks of those who have dropped off the
blogosphere without warning. *Hint Hint Jeanie.*

Really the problem is that my computer access has been limited of late, the
time I have had was spent trying to make every extra spare dime on ebay
possible.

Why? Well for the last three weeks the hubby and I have both been
unemployed. Well not really, technically I am employed. I had signed up to
substitute teach before my husband resigned. It just doesn't feel like a
real job. So I started taking assignments, he looked for work and played
stay at home daddy. I scrambled to get all my listings up on ebay and work
and clean. Did I mention he has a text twist and mine sweeper addiction. So
I had to share the computer with him.

I was told I make the children share so I have to too. Sounds illogical to
me.

Good news though, he started work yesterday.

Bad news it is a pretty huge paycut while he is training and so I will be
continuing to sub.

Good news is that give me some days to maybe take some time and write while
I am doing working. For instance today I am watching the In School
Suspension kids at the junior high. There is only one and they are refusing
help so I am free to do as I please. Aren't you lucky??