Travel, Assumptions, and Surprises
Omar and one of two giant vineyard dogs at Mongata Winery in Oregon (just over the border).
I am writing this post on a flight back from my first visit back to the Bay Area, a place I lived for about seven years in between stints in New Orleans. On this trip we also went to Eastern Washington, to a small ag and wine producing town/area. Having lived in cities as an adult, I have a version in my mind about what rural America is, much like many people outside of the South have a mental version of what the South is like and the people are. (I grew up in South Carolina and went to college in North Carolina and as mentioned above have lived twice in Louisiana). I know that the South isn’t a monolith from my lived experience AND there are some assumptions that are often very real about the South - i.e. the conservatism is rampant and has been for centuries. Back to that ag. town.
My husband and I had been once before to this town - it’s very charming, with a revitalized downtown, lots of gorgeous tasting rooms and vineyards and rolling hills of wheat. We also assumed that most of the town was and is very conservative. In these times, we expected to see MAGA insignia everywhere. Our first joint trip back to the US after the election, we expected it to be apparent and in your face.
Well, we were wrong. Yes, I did some Trump flags and similar insignia. But, I also had five separate conversations with white people about the town being split between a conservative contingent and a progressive contingent. We shared a real and deep conversation with the vineyard owner (whose dog is pictured above) about the state of things. My hairdresser admitted to starting a new salon in a building with a business sharing Know Your Rights around ICE and immigration. The hotel attendant that we interacted with the most shared her concern over the direction of the country and her progressive views. A restaurant manager assured us that lots of progressive thinking was in the town (and we stumbled upon his restaurant after passing a little free library painted with Black Lives Matter. At dinner one night in a neighboring town to where we stayed, we struggled to get a rideshare or taxi back, so a local woman and her friends shared their car with us - a Tesla car service of all things, during which everyone (the driver included) bemoaned who Musk is as a person and the damage he is doing to the country with his hateful views. We were also met with such kindness from winemakers, hotel staff, restaurant staff, and this lovely fairy godmother and her friends - shout out to Peggy’s kindness.
You know what that trip to Walla Walla, WA reminded me? My own biases are still there, and I can be surprised (pleasantly) - it’s not always the terrible surprises. Kindness does still exist, and in times of struggle people band together to support each other. We see it with disasters - I’ve personally experienced it during Hurricane Ida in New Orleans. It’s the kind of community care and love that is what allyship and accomplish-ship also embodies. That reminder of our inherent humanity, no matter our other identities. People can and do care for each other.
