Zenaida's Den

i grew up here and i can safely say that those rednecks everyone talks about do have a culture. it’s just not one anyone seems to accept the existence of.

this stereotype literally just drives me insane because i’ve met people from other countries who tell me the same thing because they heard it online.

my entire childhood literally did allow me to develop and have roots in communities—once again; just not ones you care to consider. there are also. many people from other countries who have moved here and continue to practice their culture, so i’m unsure why we pretend like the midwest is like that episode of spongebob where he was insanely normal.

i was very much encouraged to explore the woods and i did develop community at school with other girls who didn’t live in the more populated area and instead spent their time building stick structures and watching their dads practice for hunting season.

unfortunately for you all there is actually a culture in the country but you all just brush it off as hillbilly living and assume we’re all white trash.

family roots, work ethic passed down, hard work, doing the rough jobs, prioritizing family over all else—that is the culture. i’d say my momma’s home cooking is culture, and so is my dad’s—and no, they don’t just season with salt (my dad makes the best steak hands down and any ruins any restaurant steak for you). and that’s not even mentioning the hunting and other things that people ignore as culture because they just have to believe that all white people are a boring conglomerate.

there are many members of my family who did odd jobs to support family—it’s honest work, especially farming, which is very common in the countryside. trucking, military, wildlife, construction, whatever these people had to do to make ends meet.

poorer families grew their own crop in small amounts in order to feed their children. some had to give up on farming because the milk from their cows, despite it being quality, was no longer being picked up because the location was too remote.

if that strong loyalty and commitment is not culture then i don’t know what you think it is.

saying “ope” when bumping into someone or saying wash as “worsh”—just fun little quirks that i love about where i grew up.

although i didn’t have a lot of friends in school i knew someone always had my back.

jasper you don’t get to get away with this that easily.

Just bumped into this guy hello??