"Damn Yankees!"

I was born and raised in California. Ben likes to tease me because we realized recently that...

I was raised by Hippies.

My parents were older (from the World War II era), but my teachers (K-12) were graduates of the California State College system, and most of their graduation dates landed in the late 60's, early 70's. Graduates of UC Berkley, UC Davis, and UCLA. Until recently, I thought all kids my age grew up like me.

(By the way: I liked this picture because I believe I just may HAVE discovered an actual picture of my third-grade and fourth-grade teachers DURING their hippie years. I DO remember them being VERY good friends.)

I held hands with a boy I had a crush on during "Hands Across America".

I helped color the weather balloon to look like an enormous earth for "Earth Day" (to which we attached letters about dreams of world peace) and let it go at the final count ("3....2....1....PEACE....RELEASE!")

I joined my 6th grade classmates when we sang our hearts out at a school peace rally (for yet ANOTHER Earth Day Celebration). "I believe the children are our future....ooooh, ooooh, ooooh." (Whitney Houston song)

We debated IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL and discussed our political views on world issues such as over-population, global warming, and the devistation of the rainforests.

It was not uncommon for teachers to wear sandals, jeans, and beads to school. They played the guitar during music time, and some wore round "Lennon" glasses and long hair (both men AND women). All in all, the messages and lessons were that of PEACE, LOVE, EQUALITY and TOLERANCE.

I thought every kid did this in school growing up, but apparently not everyone was raised by Hippies.

With this culturally diverse up-bringing, you can understand my suprise when I realized that some people around here talk about Yankees (and it doesn't have anything to do with baseball). I didn't realize that this was still a part of some American conversations 150 years after the civil war. But the way I'm understanding it, though it has nothing to do with attitudes toward race. Rather, a difference in culture. There is a "southern way" that is different than everywhere else; a way of interacting with each other. It's not a bad thing. Look at California. I can say from experience that moving away from Cali introduced me to other cultures within our country. California has its own "way"...it's own personality. Southerners have their own personality too.

It's what makes us US. This country was founded by all these different people coming here for one thing: the freedom to just be themselves. I'm glad we have this patchwork of personalities.

It's a beautiful thing.

Ben was talking to a farmer/cowboy friend the other day. Every once in a while the cowboy would say, "But he's a Yankee". After a while Ben finally stopped him and said,

"Would I be considered a Yankee? I was born in Alaska, but my dad is from West Texas."

The cowboy took his hat off and thought for a minute while scratching his sweaty, matted hairline. As his brow furrowed and his eyes stared intently on the ground, Ben could tell this was a very serious thought process.

"Texas?...(pause). Texas...Aw....yer aw-right, then!" (laugh, laugh.)

Nancy: "Ben....just don't tell him that I'm from California OR that I still sort my garbage for recycling!"

It's bad enough that I get made fun of for wearing flip-flops and a toe ring everywhere. I usually hear something like, "You're gonna need to get some REAL shoes here 'pirty' soon, California. This here's FARMIN' country!"