Ladies and Gentlemen, I present my first attempt at politics!
A few buddies of mine got together and decided it would be wise and/or enjoyable to take two weeks out of a typically slow news month like January to cover some of the political goings-on in America. We bussed ourselves north and south, rented cars, and chased after elected and formerly elected politicians as they talked to people. Sometimes large groups of people. Often small groups of people. And some had signs! The experience was interesting not because of the politics, really, but because of the amazing people we met along the way.
There was the Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, N.H., with the really nice waitress who brought me the largest breakfast spread for under $10 I had ever seen and who hardly needed to convince me to eat one of their homemade Twinkies. Speaking of food, there was the Pee Dee General Store in Pee Dee, South Carolina where good ‘ol boys with rifles on their backs went to get morning grits and lunchtime pork chops. Not only were they great in conversation about hog hunting, but the food was astonishingly good. I wasn’t surprised, because a little old lady made it and served it. Best friend pork chop I’ve ever eaten. I need an iPhone or Android device to snapshot these things. You wouldn’t believe how much food is fried down in South Carolina. And it tastes really, really good. In that unhealthy, naughty way that makes you feel guilty but a little excited to eat it because you know it’s so bad for you.
See, the more I travel, the more I fall in love with the world. People, when you strip away politics, religion, and all those contentious things, are very much just regular folk. They have so many stories. There’s so much humor and good times to be had. If I had the time, I’m sure some of those rascals with guns would have taken me hunting, lending me a rifle and everything, just so they can say they took this New York City boy out into the wilderness.
Not all things are peachy keen. It’s sad to see how fast-food corporations have obliterated roadside diners and mom-and-pop stores. You have to consciously seek out those homey bits of Americana in many areas. Some places are dilapidated and poverty is more than prevalent. Without a doubt, these issues need remedying, just as the same issues need remedying here at home in NYC. But I feel we can do something about it for the better. Why? Because despite our baggage, people give me many convincing reasons to believe in them. And also, if a lady can fry up a pork chop so good that I’m thinking about it longingly a week later, anything is possible.