Recently I was called a redneck. More specifically I was told I was a ‘small town, redneck hick who is uneducated, has low self esteem and had an unpleasant upbringing.’ I think this person was trying to offend me. Nah, not me. Not the guy who doesn’t want to be normal. I kind of laughed at it.

Just a bit of history first. I was born in Creve Coeur, Missouri. I grew up in Creve Coeur, Missouri. Have any of you been to Creve Coeur? It was, and still is, in the middle of suburbia in St. Louis County. I currently live a couple of miles from where I grew up. While I was growing up my area had a diverse group of people in it. My school district, Parkway, participated in the desegregation program so we had everyone at our school including some great city kids to children of doctors and lawyers. In fact, would you believe the first person I met in elementary school, who is still my friend on Facebook, commented on my redneck thoughts a few days ago when I posted them on there? He said he was called ‘The Redneck Rabbi’ because someone saw him attending a car show.

I kind of wish I was more redneck at times. Ah…the life. Think about it. Living by open land where I could have a baseball field on my property. I could teach my son the art of shooting a can off a fence without the neighbors yelling at me. Heck, Jeff Foxworthy has made a lot of money being a redneck. I have always thought of myself as more of the Bill Engvall type though. I’m smart enough to know how to do something but stupid enough to try it anyways. I would also love to give people their stupid signs.

I wear muscle shirts when it is hot outside. I am naturally warm, so the less clothes the better. Redneck maybe, but this just seems smart to me. I am usually seen outside of work or our house wearing a baseball cap. I have made change in the offering plate, I watch NASCAR, and I met my wife at a country bar in Southern California. I know how to boot scoot, tush push, and won awards for line dancing back in the day. I love sweet tea and good BBQ. I believe that if it’s not at Wal-Mart, you don’t need it. You might want it, but you really don’t need it. I will flip you ‘the Bull’ if you ask me to.

Sure, I may not have gone to college much. I really don’t care too much about art or theatre. I know I come from divorced parents and my single mom did the best she thought she could. Hey, my life is far from perfect. Oh well. What matters is that I am me. Call me redneck, call me a city boy, call me whatever. It really doesn’t matter to me. I have a quote on my wall at work that says ‘What they think doesn’t define who I am.’ I don’t know where I got it from, but it fits when I get called something that might be thought of as derogatory by other people.