89318.....

I was listening to one of Sweetie's friends talk about college last night. He grew up in Sweetie's neighborhood and they have known eachother for years. Just like Sweetie, Tre, upon graduation from highschool attended college on a full basketball scholarship. Sweetie stayed in California but his friend didn't. He went to Utah. It was pure culture shock for him. Besides the basketball team, Tre was one of the few African-American males living in that small town.

I was born in Eastern Nevada (very, very similar to Utah)......in a small, rural, copper mining town where my mother's family all lived. My grandmother's family was from what is now Croatia and my grandfather immigrated from Greece. The two ethnic groups had their own "section" of town and really did not play well together. My mother was considered a "half-breed" while growing up. Very similar to someone who was half black half white, in the 50's, in the deep south. Neither of her peeps accepted her or her brothers as "their own". It was very sad and quite very stupid since they both shared so many of the same challenges and struggles. But, you know? Whatever. Prejudice and ignorance have been around since the beginning of time and I, personally, don't see it miraculously evaporating anytime soon, unfortunately.

Growing up, we would always go back to Nevada for a few weeks to visit my grandmother and uncles. She lived in the Greek section of town filled with Greek immigrants that spoke very little English or broken English, at best. If it wasn't for my name, I can easily pass as full on Greek. My name gives away the fact that I am mostly Italian (father's family.......another story). The Croatians never really accepted me because, well.....I don't look like them; too olive toned skin and way too dark hair......plus, the name thing, again. Greeks and Italians can look very similar to one another. Una Facia una Racia.......I probably messed that up, but it is a saying, meaning: One Face...One Race. Both ethnic groups say it regarding eachother, only then it usually leads to an argument about which group "invented" (or gave the most) to Western Civilization. Get over it!

But, as I listened to Tre talk about his first encounter with Utah and her people, I kept reflecting on my grandmother and her familiy's struggles. The Mormon's basically ran the town and were so unaccepting of anyone who was not Mormon. They segregated everyone into sections and forced, even those with college degrees to work menial, unsafe and unhealthy jobs that no one else would accept. My grandfather posessed an engineering degree but was forced to work in the smelter. ( To this day, I am still unclear about what a smelter really is). Most likely, working in this position resulted in his early death and left my grandmother a widow in her late thirties, to raise four kids on her own. Black Lung disease was not really acknowledged back then and especially back there.

The "company" almost threw her and her four kids out on the street because she resided in a company home. And, since no one, no longer worked for the mines, she had to "give" the house back, to its rightful owners, the mine. Through some unclear negotiations, she was able to keep her home but was forced to work for the company. With her eighth grade education and all, she became a janitor. She cleaned upper-management's offices. I believe my mother and her three brothers were America's first latch-key kids. This was during the 50's where every mother stayed home and NEVER worked. During that era, mother's were up at the crack of dawn, fully dressed, even sporting pearls, with an artery clogging breakfast on the table before anyone realized a new day had begun. But, not my grandmother. She was working.........and working hard.

Years later, my grandmother kinda got the last laugh. When I was still in highschool, the mining company, once again, tried to force my grandmother out of her home through imminent domain. She held out and held out huge. Damn, that woman was strong! She eventually conceited, but only after a nice chunk of change was placed in her bank account for a house that was basically delapitated and in an area where the price of real estate wasn't too criminal. So, she and my two uncles moved up to their ranch.

I forget if it was prior to my birth, the same year, or shortly there after, my uncles purchased an 80 acre ranch that was once owned by their great uncle 20 miles north of town. We are seriously talking rural, Eastern Nevada with gigantic mountains and huge amounts of snow! I have never been into the "great outdoors."

With the proceeds from the sale of my grandmother's home, they built this huge A-frame, Cedar home with a view that could surpass no other. (Personally, I like the ocean over mountains, but there is no ocean in Nevada). But, they loved and enjoyed every minute they were there up untill each one started passing away.

Prior to my grandmother's death back in the late 90's, my mother, brother and myself were put on the deed. In other words, we inherrited this property. My uncle, my mom's last surviving relative died a little over two years ago and my parents, basically moved back there to fix the ranch up and sell it. During this time, I took care of their house, my house and my caffe. It was a bitch to say the least!!!!

We won't even go into how shitty the realator was that my brother hired and I so desperately wanted to fire! Damn, crook! That, in itself, is a whole other story. $25,000 dollars for doing absolutely nothing! My parents should have received this for all of their hard work........not that idiot.

Last October, my mother called me and told me that a potential buyer had made an offer that she could not nor would not refuse. The ranch sold and it sold for big bucks........ for back there. My parents would be home in time for Thanksgiving. The day after Thanksgiving, the title company gave my parents, brother and me a nice early Christmas present.........an inflated bank account.

Because of the mistreatment my grandmother received from the Mormons, of course, she developed her own prejudicies towards them. My mother, through this conditioning and growing up surrounded by Mormons, developed her own prejudicies as well. This isn't to say that this is right in any way, whatsoever but, both of them believed they had just cause for their feelings.

Ironically, a Mormon doctor bought the ranch. His first few offers were laughable, to say the least. But, he eventually stepped it up some and we accepted. My mother's greatest concern was how my grandmother would have felt knowing a Mormon would be occupying her bedroom. I laughed.......I told my mom that she would have thought it to be quite funny as well. Look how much money he had to pay to sleep in it!

Unfortunately, we are all guilty of prejudice and exploitation, it's not right but we can not deny it. It was pointed out to me by my younger boy how I condone exploitation. He was talking about the Soprano's and how crappy the ending was. I don't watch the Soprano's. I have seen a few episodes but I don't like how the italian-American culture, as a whole is portrayed. But, I also realize that this is what sells and draws huge amounts of viewers. Again, not saying this is right, just reality.

As we were talking about the Soprano's, I had mentioned that the season premier of "Big Love" was going to be on. My younger boy looked at me and said:

Boy#2: So, the Soprano's are horrible because the show exploits Italian-Americans and you have banned it because of that right?
Me: Yes, I am sick of my culture be played out as murederous thugs. We have given this world a hella lot more than just crime!
Boy#2: But you're going to watch Big Love, tonight....right?
Me: Yes. I like that show.
Boy#2: Do you think that show exploits Mormons? You do know that not every Mormon is a Polygamist.
Me: Ok.......you're right! Point well taken! (Now shut-up).

See, the other day, he was a dumbass..........now today, he's a smartass........but, he's right and definitely his mother's son.