Culture Shock

So we are fast approaching the first year anniversary of our relocation from Chicagoland, USA to the Northern Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati, OH and the culture shock has set in hardcore for me.  I think a long, cold February could be a little to blame, perhaps it's more cabin fever than culture shock.

No, it's culture shock.

During the day in Northern Kentucky I have come to find that we are out there with a large senior crowd and from what I gather, the majority of this crowd smokes like a chimney.  Sure, there are full time parents in minivans also, but there are a lot of senior citizens on the road that are one of two things; in a hurry to get to work or in no hurry to get anywhere.  So the traffic patterns are a little goofy sometimes, not very predictable other than typical rush hours.

It's weird seeing older folks in workplaces that I have been accustomed to seeing younger aged people in.  This by no means is to insult those that are working for a living, need I remind you I don't get paid, they are bringing home the bacon. 

In dealing with some of these fine folks I have come to find that some of them are happy as larks and others, well let's just say they are quite surly.

Take for instance the lady working the McDonald's drive thru window in the morning, she is an absolute sweetheart.  I usually go through there on Tuesday morning, sausage biscuit Tuesday. We can get in a conversation about the weather, The Little Man, what are the plans of the day, and any Flo, KY current events in the time it takes to exchange my money and send me on my way with a, "Have a good day, Honey!"  I used to buy a newspaper on the corner of Lincoln & Peterson in Chicago everyday from a man and he was the same way.  He could toss the paper on my dash, I would hand him a dollar, and we could exchange opinions on the Cubs sucking all without me coming to a complete stop to get through the traffic light.  I got to the point where I would slow down to catch the light just to talk sports with the guy, William.  I miss William, but now I have sausage biscuit Tuesday lady.  I'm going to make a point to get her name, but not eat sausage biscuits everyday.

Then we have the older lady that is a grocery store check-out person.  The children and I go to the grocery store about three times a week.  People here cannot figure that out at all, most people do this huge giant grocery trip once a week or every other week.  I couldn't do that, the bill would be a thousand dollars.  I kind of plan what's for dinner then go pick out stuff to prepare it, plus the kids like going to the store.  I do look at the sale papers and will go buy stuff on sale at different places that I know we need and can be in the pantry for a while, but for the most part we go to one store.  I know, it's crazy but it works for me and I fancy myself as quite a bargain hunter, whatever.  Back to our girl at the check out.  Perhaps that is why she is so surly towards us because we are in there all the time?  I try to be jovial at all times and the kids are well behaved and aren't puking on the conveyor, so what gives?  This lady always states that I have my hands full with two children and is good for some lame comment about me being with the kids when I should be working.  I always let her know I'm full time parent and she gives me the eye roll and says something to insinuate that I don't do anything.  I don't know whether to stop going in her line or next time just go give her a big hug and let her know we aren't going anywhere.  I'm sure she would love that.  I thought she might just hate the fact that she's a work, but I've witnessed her chatting up other folks and being happy outside, around the giant ashtray. 

That brings me back to the smoking in Northern Kentucky.  I'm not telling people not to smoke, hey, smoke 'em if you got 'em.  I do, however, wish that those people that smoke would consider other things and people around them.  I can't tell you how many times a day I see people flinging cigarette butts out of their cars.  I've seen people do what I just don't get at all, stop at a traffic light, open the car door and empty their ashtray right into the street.  WTF?  This area is home to some really beautiful land, creeks, & ponds with cigarette butts all over the place.  It's not right, but you can expect that from a big urban area with millions of people, but where we are now it kind of floors me. 

Here was my thought process on not smoking.  When I was a kid I brushed up against some woman that was smoking in the grocery store or somewhere (shows how old I am, they used to smoke everywhere) and it burnt the piss out of my arm.  I remember how hot the end of that cigarette was and noticed that when people smoke they suck on the cigarette like a straw, so the air that is passing through that hot end, that burnt my arm, has to be really hot.  I didn't want any part of that and that's why I have never smoked.

This post has kind of turned into my stance on smoking.  I'm not telling people not to smoke, that's their business, but please be considerate of others and the common space around them.  I mean, I could fart anytime I wanted, but I just think about others and the surroundings first.

So it's a little culture shock to see that there are so many smokers here and the litter that they produce in a beautiful part of the country.

Comments

[Brad]

I couldn't agree with you more on the smoking and littering. But regarding littering: I do not think it is too much of an over-generalization to say that there are two types of people in this world; those that will roll their window down and toss their big gulp out on to the side of the road, and those that wouldn't think of doing something like that.

[Sarah R.]

I was in Patty's line at Kroger today. Ellie asked me why "that lady" only has two teeth like Max? I was mortified.