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“You look so out of place not only in Seattle but at work, as well.”
I heard these quotes from a coworker who, herself, also feels the same trepidation (oh snap, SAT word, still got it) about being as out of place as I am. While I have my pearl snaps, cowboy fit/boot cut jeans and caiman boots that I wear almost daily, she is covered in tattoos, wears a Harley Davidson t-shirt, biker jacket and ripped jeans up to work each day.
While these may seem like gigantic culture clashes (heck, maybe they are), I can safely say that we get along better than anyone else I’ve met thus far during my time in Seattle. We initially bonded over shared tobacco breaks, Veteran status and hating Seattle. One day, while shooting the shit between Grizzly and Marlboros, we came to realize that much like the Chris Ledoux song, people may have different backgrounds and tokens of their “style,” but that doesn’t mean that each doesn’t value their style as a true reflection of who they are.
As I’ve struggled recently up here in Seattle with the notion of fitting in, coming across a Bostonian who looks totally different than me but experiences the same frustrations has been a breath of fresh air.
I’ll be the first to admit that I place a chip on my shoulder with almost everything I do. This chip is in some ways imagined and in some ways not, I’m self-aware enough to know that. My previous job before this one was within a tech company where I insisted on dressing almost the exact opposite of most employees simply to demonstrate that a Veteran, and cowboy, could in fact be successful within that company. Were their doubts about whether someone who didn’t come from the West Coast could succeed there? You betcha. Did I maybe overplay those doubts as a way of motivating myself to push that much harder? You betcha.
There’s something inherently valuable in the underdog mentality and that’s why come playoffs time, everyone tries to position themselves as the next Rudy, 2004 Boston Red Sox or Sergio Garcia.
I find myself doing the same thing up in Seattle, as well. By approaching everything I do here with the thought that I am representing not only myself, but Texans, millennials, Veterans and country-folk, I’ve managed to continue pushing myself to new levels. It’s almost as if I’m deliberately setting myself into a hole just because I love the feeling of climbing out of it and proving that I can hang here. Is this healthy? Depends who you ask.
Which brings me back to my Harley-riding female coworker. She, like I, feel like our culture is being threatened by the tolerant Mecca that is Seattle. I have Stetsons, she has a leather jacket. Maybe the answer towards solving the assimilation issue in Seattle is to find other minority groups here and break some bread.
I tried looking for fellow country-types up here by attending the PBR event this weekend, and I walked away severely disappointed when someone who was dressed almost identical to me informed me that I had a Texan accent that was unlike any they’ve ever heard before (turns out that person was from Connecticut).
I tried looking for fellow Texans when the Rangers were up here two weeks ago playing the Mariners. That, too, was a bust. Though I did find that true blood baseball fans will respect those who show up to away games wearing their team’s gear. There is something admirable in the inherent loyalty to one’s team and one’s self when on the road. I’ve always been nice to opposing fans who visit the Ballpark in Arlington because I know it takes juevos to show up in that gear when you aren’t sitting directly behind their dugout and are out baking in the centerfield Texas heat with me.
If I didn’t feel like I was going to get shot in the neighborhood where Safeco field is, or if people didn’t eat fucking grasshoppers there, I might actually spend some more time hanging out in that type of environment.
While my search for others who look like me has more or less come up empty, my search for those who don’t fit into the fat part of the bell curve has been resoundingly successful and may just be the key to survival up here. Maybe the commonality is going to be recognizing that I may not be alone in not having anything in common with the rest of the population..
Image via Shutterstock
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Kiawah Island Strip Club
I'd rather be golfing. Seattle sucks so I write about that. Also work...ish in recruiting. Shoot your resume to kiawahislandstripclub@gmail.com for any and all job hunt questions.
“She, like I, feel like our culture is being threatened by the tolerant Mecca that is Seattle.”
That’s the problem with tolerant Meccas – they’re only tolerant if you fit into their mold of what they should tolerate. Same in SF: good luck walking around the street wearing anything pro-Trump or pro traditional marriage. Bunch of fucking hypocrites.
100% agree with this.
As a person of color, lesbian, trans woman, vegan, atheist, communist, and gender fluid bi-racial wonderpet, I am very triggered by this statement.
If you’re a lesbian trans woman, does that make you a straight man?
It makes you Mr. Garrison.
I’m not gonna argue the political angle because that’s actually supporting things, but wearing a shirt that’s “pro-traditional marriage” is just another way to say “fuck gay marriage.” If you don’t want to get married to another dude, then don’t. But don’t decide that someone who disagrees with you doesn’t get to exercise that right because it doesn’t follow your religious litmus test.
Before I get on my soap box, let me just say that I don’t like Trump, I support gay marriage and I’m not religious. Now with that said…
We live in a country of 320 million people and are bound to have different opinions. You have absolutely no right to say that your opinion is right and someone else’s is wrong. In America, unlike in Europe, we do not have hate speech laws and thank fucking God for that because they are a super slippery slope. Don’t like what someone is saying? Don’t listen. You’re passionate about an issue? Vote for a politician that supports it. Otherwise, shut the fuck up and respect that people have a right to their point of view and you have a right to yours. I’m a Jew and I 100% support the ability of white supremacists and nephew Nazis to say whatever they do, as long as it doesn’t lead to violence. Why? Because suppression of free speech is the first step toward tyranny and fuck that shit.
Ok I’ll step off my soapbox now.
Er, what? I absolutely have the right to say that my opinion is right and someone else’s is wrong. That’s literally an example of free speech that both of us support.
What I don’t like is the “haha you’re intolerant of my intolerant opinion guess you’re not very tolerant are you” argument, because it’s absurd. It’s like the “there’s two sides to every story” cliche; sure there are, but that doesn’t mean that the two sides are equal. It’s a real reach to go from “the government lets me be an asshole” to “you have to let me be an asshole otherwise you’re one.”
(But seriously, this whole series is just showing that Seattle is full of snobs and self-important twits, and I say that as someone living in DC.)
But Trump is literally the poster boy for intolerance? And being against gay marriage is a perfect example of intolerance. So it sounds like people are just enforcing a culture of tolerance in resisting Trump and and policies that dehumanizes LGBTQ folks
Yikes are you new to this site?
And someone definitely cares……
lol thanks for proving my point.
Your writing has done an excellent job of convincing me to never move out of Kansas.
You should definitely move out of Kansas
I’ve got family in Salina. Feels a little bit like small-town Texas, I don’t mind it too much.
I would have to agree, it’s a very similar vibe to the Texas panhandle
From the south and currently living in Austin, TX. Each of your posts gets me more and more depressed about my imminent move to Seattle at the end of the year.
Let me know when you get here. Seriously, let’s meet up.
The worst part about the people of Seattle is that they speak as if Seattle IS the best city in the world. And while it has its pros there are a lot of cons, of which, typically outweighs the pros. Really looking forward to moving….
These same people also haven’t travelled to many other places, and no Bellevue doesn’t count, but are 1000% convinced Seattle is the best place in the world ever of all time.
#TexasForever
Kiawah delivers! Glad you were able to represent God’s country and take in a game. Go Rangers.
Chip in the shoulder mentality is great for bar fights too. I have a 5’5″ associate with 14 years of training in muay thai who everyone overlooks/tries to pick on because of his size… little do they know he has a healthy Napoleonic complex and the fighting background to back it up. Yes you have to swim away from authority figures when he periodically tries to spartan kick an opponent through a shop window but most of the time he’s the X factor to end all X factors.
Moved out of Texas once, I’ll never make that mistake again
Kiawah, as a Washingtonian (raised on the west side, school at CWU in Ellensburg, first station at JBLM) Seattle people are usually huge turdbags. There are a couple of country places down in Tacoma and Olympia that are pretty good, not my scene, but also better than Scooters in Lawton, they’re Joe heavy but worth a visit. If you and the wife/kids can get away on Labor Day the Ellensburg Rodeo is a blast and I recommend the American Legion hall for cheap beer and a good view of the Rodeo grounds.
Holy shit did you just say Scoots in Lawton? Damn, flashback. I preferred Cadillac Ranch or whatever it’s called these days.
I did in fact say Scoots MaGoots of Lawton,OK. I think Caddilac got renamed, Dragons surprisingly hasn’t burned to the ground yet though (or gotten blacklisted).
The Shady 580. Scoots and the Dragon were both sketchy as fuck
Oh yeah. Damn. There’s a decent chance I know both of you.
I’ll be taking a weekend trip up to Seattle in late July with the family to watch my beloved Red Sox take on the Mariners. I know I’m not a Texan, but I’d still love to buy you a beer and thank you for your service.
Shoot me an email when you get up here. I might be at the same series, wife is a total die hard Sox fan.