1/16
THREAD.
I lived in a small town. Population 900, in the rural American Midwest. Lots of cornfields, very few people.
It was nice. I taught and lived in this tiny farming community early in my career, and remain grateful for the perspective it provided me as a younger man.
I lived in a small town. Population 900, in the rural American Midwest. Lots of cornfields, very few people.
It was nice. I taught and lived in this tiny farming community early in my career, and remain grateful for the perspective it provided me as a younger man.
02:06 PM - Jul 20, 2023
2/16
A day I still remember - I had had some trouble with a middle schooler, issued the appropriate discipline, no big deal.
On my walk home from the school, I ran into three different people, independently, each with some connection to the kid in question.
Each one knew the kid had acted up.
On my walk home from the school, I ran into three different people, independently, each with some connection to the kid in question.
Each one knew the kid had acted up.
02:08 PM - Jul 20, 2023
3/16
Each one told me a variation of the same thing: “I’m very sorry that she acted that way Mr. Ellison. It won’t be happening again.”
Three different people. Three different spots along my walk home.
My walk home from school was a total of about three minutes. It was a very small town.
Three different people. Three different spots along my walk home.
My walk home from school was a total of about three minutes. It was a very small town.
02:10 PM - Jul 20, 2023
4/16
Most of my experience in my small town was good. Excellent even. People were kind and helpful to me. The kids overall were great.
It was a good experience to have as a younger man early in my professional life.
It was a good experience to have as a younger man early in my professional life.
02:12 PM - Jul 20, 2023
5/16
There was one type of person though. Relatively rare, but still there.
Always male. Typically middle age. Weirdly, almost always with a beard.
I’ve come to know him as Fantasy Man.
Always male. Typically middle age. Weirdly, almost always with a beard.
I’ve come to know him as Fantasy Man.
02:14 PM - Jul 20, 2023
6/16
Fantasy Man may or may not be married - and his wife usually stood by him, though quietly. Small town. I engaged with everyone, they with me.
I always got the sense that if she could speak freely, she’d offer a different perspective from him. She didn’t. She usually stayed quiet. He talked.
I always got the sense that if she could speak freely, she’d offer a different perspective from him. She didn’t. She usually stayed quiet. He talked.
02:17 PM - Jul 20, 2023
7/16
And boy did he talk. Conspiracy theories left and right.
And an insistence that “they” were out there. That he was a protector against “them”. He had his guns - plural - too, and loved the “good guy with a gun” story when it first started to prop up.
And an insistence that “they” were out there. That he was a protector against “them”. He had his guns - plural - too, and loved the “good guy with a gun” story when it first started to prop up.
02:19 PM - Jul 20, 2023
8/16
Fantasy Man was all too happy to tell me all about the bad people - they were ALWAYS non-white. As far as I could tell back then, that was the only discerning factor.
And THEY were a definite threat.
Fantasy Man kept his his truck locked. THEY could still hot wire it, so WE had to stay vigilant.
And THEY were a definite threat.
Fantasy Man kept his his truck locked. THEY could still hot wire it, so WE had to stay vigilant.
02:21 PM - Jul 20, 2023
(Edited)
9/16
I could tell that Fantasy Man was lonely in his fantasies. He always wanted to make it a “we”.
“We” were under threat. Constant threat. “We” had to remain vigilant.
For the record, I lived there three years and never once locked the house I rented. Even when traveling away from town.
“We” were under threat. Constant threat. “We” had to remain vigilant.
For the record, I lived there three years and never once locked the house I rented. Even when traveling away from town.
02:24 PM - Jul 20, 2023
10/16
I’m thinking of that when I saw that a country music star is making waves with a song he recently released.
The song talks about not doing bad things in a small town. The song makes clear that the Fantasy Men in town won’t have it.
You’ve heard it by now. Or heard of it by now.
The song talks about not doing bad things in a small town. The song makes clear that the Fantasy Men in town won’t have it.
You’ve heard it by now. Or heard of it by now.
02:28 PM - Jul 20, 2023
11/16
The country music star says he knows about growing up in a small town.
I looked it up. His city was Macon Georgia, pop. 160,000. Doesn’t seem small to me.
Maybe he’d argue that the song is a story, from the point of view of a small town resident.
I looked it up. His city was Macon Georgia, pop. 160,000. Doesn’t seem small to me.
Maybe he’d argue that the song is a story, from the point of view of a small town resident.
02:31 PM - Jul 20, 2023
12/16
I met every one of the 900 in my small town over my years there. I was the only band teacher. I had all the kids. I worked with all the parents. And their extended families. That’s everybody.
Not one of them resembled the fictional resident in country music stars song.
Except Fantasy Man.
Not one of them resembled the fictional resident in country music stars song.
Except Fantasy Man.
02:32 PM - Jul 20, 2023
13/16
Fantasy Man is the only small town citizen I ever met that resembles the small town residents of country music star from pop. 160,000-city sang about.
Almost makes one wonder if he was pandering to a specific type of individual.
But such speculation digresses.
Almost makes one wonder if he was pandering to a specific type of individual.
But such speculation digresses.
02:35 PM - Jul 20, 2023
14/16
My own take from all of this is to remember just how few Fantasy Men there were compared to the rest of the town.
They were just the louder ones, the ones that talked constantly, and usually the ones with lots of guns and happy to tell you about them.
They weren’t the majority.
They were just the louder ones, the ones that talked constantly, and usually the ones with lots of guns and happy to tell you about them.
They weren’t the majority.
02:36 PM - Jul 20, 2023
15/16
But they were a powerful minority, in the sense that they were threatening and folks understood that.
Menacing even.
Like thugs.
Menacing even.
Like thugs.
02:37 PM - Jul 20, 2023
16/16
I’m not sure there’s a moral to my story.
Thugs exist. They try to impose their will on all the rest of us. They write musical anthems to glorify their thuggery. Then pretend that they’re the heroes and our protectors.
I guess the moral is that we don’t have to pretend along with them.
/end
Thugs exist. They try to impose their will on all the rest of us. They write musical anthems to glorify their thuggery. Then pretend that they’re the heroes and our protectors.
I guess the moral is that we don’t have to pretend along with them.
/end
02:39 PM - Jul 20, 2023
