I grew up in the Antelope Valley in the 1990’s. My parents moved me from a failing city called Sylmar in 1989 to a house that was on a long 2 mile road with 2 stop signs.
Now, there’s a mall, a church, and a very large city park that’s the crowning jewel of West Palmdale. I went to school where half of the kids drove trucks and the others drove classics or handmedowns. This city has changed in so many ways but not all for the better. Last Tuesday when I stood on the corner at the Mall, for two hours I had 2 drinks thrown at me, and a flag stolen from me. Tonight, I took a few friends to the fair and faced the same, hometown crowd.
I was cussed at, flipped off, and had a drink tossed my direction tonight because I stood there, with my flag and said, “Happy Fair” “Have a great night” “Que tengan buena noche” “Que se divierten”. Some people begrudgingly smiled back but giggled as they walked and others were bold enough to pose, only to flip off the camera or make a mockery of us. That’s okay, I played it up, flashed my rainbow button, pushed my bubble but out, pursed the lip and kicked the heel (I’d love to see a you post that!). My friends stood by my side, watched from the booth, and took videos. We waved a Trump 2020 flag in the grandstands, registered new voters and enjoyed ourselves in spite of the vitriol
The love and support we did see was energizing. Quiet support, vocal support, and even fist bumps were aplenty. Angela Underwood Jacobs, and African American Woman running for Congress as a Republican spent some time at the booth with us in the evening and opened up dialogues that would have been impossible for anyone else. I remained fair minded and put our best foot forward because we cannot change hearts with hate. Love and compassion can conquer MANY obstacles and it’s this approach that I’m aiming for. A little brevity, a little humor, but always willing to stand up for myself and expose their true character.
There are plenty of people who still love the Antelope Valley and I’m one of them. I see a lot of work to be done in southern California, but I’m up for the challenge because it starts at home. I’ll be doing more flag drops in my valley, and I’ll keep attending rallies across the southland because shattering the mold is what I do, and I’m good at it. Keep an eye on what comes next, It’ll knock your socks off!
