odd woman out

When hanging with the snowbirds, I am number 11 or 13 depending on how many couples are gathered. But last night it was made clear that not only am I the odd number, I am the odd person.

For some reason, one of the snowbirds decided to tell an old joke about Jesse Jackson; something to do with the reason he pulled out of the presidential race (so you know how old that joke is) was because his whole family posed naked on the front of National Geographic. Not funny on many levels and I guess my look conveyed that because the joke-teller said to me "Don't tell me you're one of those bleeding heart liberals!" (I guess the only people who find racist jokes offensive are liberals?) but in an effort to keep the mood light I laughed and said "There has to be one in each group." I swear the 12 people gathered seemed to pull their chairs back, making the circle larger, creating more distance between them and me. Someone else said "I suppose you'll be voting for Hillary [snarl]" and I said that I would vote for whoever gets the Democratic nomination. The circle widened. One of the other men then turned to me and said "You're not going to vote for that nigger, are you?" I think that comment was even too much for the Jesse Jackson joke teller and an uncomfortable silence fell on the group until someone else felt the need to explain to the Canadians that we have a Muslim running for president (Obama is actually a Christian but I kept quiet).

I figured it was time to refill my drink. At the trailer I debated about whether or not to return to the group but I decided to be polite and not make an issue out of things. When I returned the conversation had moved on to other topics (thank god). A few minutes later we began gathering up our chairs because we were all going to dinner at Mr. Potatohead. One of the couples swung by my trailer to give me a ride but the park dogs (all 3 of them) tried to get in the truck with me and so I said I would deal with the dogs and then drive over in my van. I never made it. Later, the couple came by to see what had happened to me and I said I couldn't shake the dogs, that two of them had jumped into my van and I couldn't get them out (which was the truth).

I guess it was only a matter of time that hot topics like immigration, politics, racism would rear their ugly heads. It looks like I'll be avoiding group happy hours for the rest of my time here.

I know that not all Republicans are this hateful and mean-spirited but have I run into a slew of them lately. Remember when I wondered how to respond to this guy who was sending out hate emails? After asking him to take me off his email list, he sent out an even more offensive email with a note "I don't care who this offends, I'm sending it anyway" and so I wrote back telling him that I blocked his email address and, oh, by the way, I think he's an asshole.

A week ago a really great couple stopped at the park for a few nights. They had tent-camped in Mexico for 40 years but this year had moved up to the luxury of a Mercedes camper van. Over shots of tequila we talked about the U.S.'s "culture of fear" and how this fear is perpetuated by the right-wingers and media outlets like Fox Noise. Last night as I listened to these big burly white guys put down women and people of color, I couldn't help but feel sorry for them, for their fearfulness and their hatefulness. I am glad I don't live my life that way.

Man, I tell you, I've had it with RV parks and their attendant wealthy old farts who feel the need to ridicule anyone who is not like them. I am so looking forward to getting on with my real life. And I tell you what, a woman or a black in the White House is gonna have these guys shaking in their crocs (all snowbirds wear them). I can't fucking wait.