Yesterday's blog reminded me of something else that I'd like to talk about. There were several days in a row that I had to go to the mall for one thing or another. I was sitting in the food court with friends and we noticed this older woman staring hard enough in our direction to put a hole in concrete. Let me back up for a second. I used to be WAY out there as far as style. We're talking spiked dog collars, bondage pants, the works. And I'm not a small guy. I'm 6'1" and built like a linebacker. Needless to say, people used to stare at me. A lot. I still get looks sometimes due to my body modifications and mohawk, but I'm just used to it. So, I don't always notice stuff like that, but everyone else did and filled me in.
And it threw me for a loop! She had real disgust and loathing in her eyes. And we were just having lunch. There weren't 2 guys making out. We weren't sacrificing babies to Satan. We were eating cheap mall Chinese food. But the look in her eyes was just...unsettling. And I don't understand it. What happened to the sweet little old Southern lady that may not approve of something you're doing, but would never dare insult you?
And I seem to get both ends of the stick. I've definitely had older women that scowl at me and I've had older women who engage me in conversation as to what my body mods mean or how they're done. And I love that. They're genuinely interested. And the ones who look at me like I remember my dad's mom looking at me. Mommom, born and raised in Potts Camp, MS, was a total Southern lady. I miss her so much. But I'm afraid that part of Southern culture is dying. And that makes me incredibly sad. But it's something I'm determined to try and keep alive.
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