After what felt like an excruciating week, we actually had a really nice weekend.
Rye had two friends spend the night Friday night and that went well. Saturday he went to a birthday party with said friends and Don and had a great time while Gam and I drove south of here to the deep South to a horse race/Steeplechase.
As for the Steeplechase, I can’t even begin to express to you how creepy this thing was. Gam thought it was beautiful and I’ll admit, the horses themselves were beautiful. But the social scene was something else. It was horrifying. Honest to God, I was literally waiting for the slave ghosts to rise from the earth and burn down all of the white, drunk, overly seersuckered, bow-tied college guys and the drunk Lily Pulitzer dress wearing college girls that were blessing us all with their completely intoxicated wisdom at 2000 decibels while the African American members of the community wheeled around the white kid’s kegs and liquor coolers on hand dollies. Good Lord, it really all put me over the edge. I felt like I had traveled back in time about 60 years, at least.
Confederate flags flying with fraternity flags. Liquor bottles everywhere. Screams of ‘Woo-hoo!’ and “We Rock!’ and ‘Yeaaaaa!’ reverberating through the air. I feel certain there was a trunk of white hoods and robes in the back of one of those pickup trucks. And I’ll bet money on the fact that Skip, Buffy and Trip all know how to light up a good bonfire, when need be. It really gave me the super and complete creeps. So, needless to say, we didn’t stay too long. I didn’t want to wait around for someone to get too drunk and start a lynch mob, if you know what I mean. This crowd definitely seemed susceptible to mob mentality.
Somebody enlighten these people of the day and age we live in, please.
Anyway, the rest of the weekend was nice. Don and I had a date night Saturday night and Rye stayed the night at Gam’s. On Sunday we tilled the garden to get that started and filled and started to revive the pool from it’s winter creepiness as well.
Rye was fine all weekend.
It’s interesting how much school plays a part in his moods.
One Comment
Great description– but horrifying vis a vis the race stuff. You are a talented reporter– magazine piece?? Thanks for the slice of life. Your continued bravery amazes me.