Try That in a Small Town

Got a gun that my granddad gave me
They say one day they’re gonna round up
Well, that shit might fly in the city, good luck

Try that in a small town
See how far ya make it down the road
Around here, we take care of our own
You cross that line, it won’t take long
For you to find out, I recommend you don’t
Try that in a small town

~Jason Aldean

This song has become very controversial, here in America, since the release of the music video. None of my black friends have felt this was made to express any discrimination, though. It really is more of a culture thing. By culture, I only mean where you grow up. Being brought up in some parts of the country, you are raised in different ways. That creates variation in how folks view lots of issues. Most everyone can agree, there are common issues, we all look to find solutions for. Most of our disagreement, is in how we should go about doing that. Gun violence is a problem. Nobody wants to worry about sending their children to school, going to church, or to the mall. I’m not going to preach my own beliefs, on right and wrong ways to make us safer. It is a shared concern, though. Most of us also can relate to the love and support people have for their towns and cities. For our community. When you grow up going to a school your parents attended, being taught by some of their old teachers, it’s something special. Everyone goes to a local ice cream place, after Friday night football games. A shop that’s ran by generations of family, who’ve worked to make their small business succeed. A place where your neighbors all know who you are. The cops weren’t called, when we got busted having a party in someone’s field. Our parents were, and that was way more terrifying, as a kid! I realize, there are many different places to grow up in. Not every person has those same memories. I think most of us look at where we’re from, and have a deep appreciation for it, though. To me, that’s what Jason’s song meant. Don’t threaten my community. We care about one another. That, to me, should be something all people, of all backgrounds, can relate to? Maybe I’m just biased, because of my own upbringing? I share the sentiment, about looking after my town, and the people who live in it.

Last night, I made the supper Mikayla requested. She’d asked for meatloaf, mashed potatoes with brown gravy, and my lemon pepper green beans. She didn’t get home, until after 8:00pm. So, we didn’t eat supper until much later than usual. She’s either practicing color guard, hanging out with her friends, or at work, most everyday, and into the evenings. Wyatt and Mj are just hanging out at home, with me. Wyatt went through his clothes, and we got a big bag of them to donate. He organized his closet, and folded all of his clean clothes nicely. He cleaned his room up, real good! Now it’s Mj’s turn. I’m going to help her go through her dresser drawers, and closet. We’ll start packing, for our trip, too. Mikayla is staying home, while we go to Kansas. She’s got a camp to go to, and didn’t want to miss work. Kansas is pretty boring, for her, anyhow. I’ll miss her. Her and I really do talk everyday. She tells me most everything. We don’t keep secrets. I can’t say that I did everything right, in raising her, but she turned out pretty damn great. I like to think I’ve done more right, than wrong. She’s told me, she would like to change her last name, after she turned 18. She wants to surprise Adam, and take his last name. I never suggested anything like that. She came up with that idea, all on her own. I support her, whatever she decides to do. She has a relationship with my ex (her bio dad’s) parents. They’re elderly, but they’re good people. Even when her dad wasn’t participating in her life, I always allowed them to. She spent some weekends, with them. They were invited to her school events, and birthday parties. Mikayla sent me a text, late last night, that said SOS. That’s our code. It means, call me. She was up in her bedroom, so I just ran up there. She was on the phone, and gave me a look that told me exactly what I needed to do. So, I called her phone, from my own, while I stood just outside of her room. I heard her excuse herself from the phone call she’d been on. She opened her door, and had great big tears in her eyes. She told me she’d asked her dad about how his trip in Germany was, and for some reason, that angered him. She said he’d yelled at her, because his girlfriend recently broke up with him, and he blames Mikayla for this. His girlfriend was cruel to Mikayla. Mikayla had chosen not to speak to, or visit, her father, for the majority of the last few years. They’d established a somewhat stable relationship, when Mikayla was around ten years old. Unfortunately, that was short lived. Her father had also completely neglected (or forgotten?) to wish her a Happy 18th Birthday. My heart breaks for her. It’s literal torture, seeing my sweet girl feel so unwanted, by someone who should think she’s the greatest thing to ever exist. Well, Adam and I see her. Things, like what happened last night, absolutely piss Adam off. If my ex was close by, I’d be afraid of what Adam might do. It makes me angry, but mostly sad. I hurt for Mikayla. There are many examples of situations like this, I could share. That’s not an isolated event, with her father. He’s a selfish, narcissistic (and I don’t say that lightly), bully. I honestly don’t think he’s capable of loving anyone, in any real sense. People are commodities. They’re tools to be used, to get him where he wants to go. To make an already long story short, this is one of the reasons why Mikayla has chosen to refer to Adam as “Dad”. Why she’s longed to share his family name. I’m so grateful to have been able to give her a man who has treated her like a daddy should treat his daughter. I’m so thankful for my husband. He never shows any favoritism, with our kids. He has one of the kindest hearts of anyone I’ve ever known. ❤️

I suppose I’ll go try to motivate Mj to get to work on her bedroom organization project.