The Real Harrison, AR

I started on this journey when I applied for a government job for a "Public Safety Dispatcher" in what I presumed was Buffalo, NY. I was sick and tired of working a job where there were so few women and too many men getting recognized for the same type of work I was doing. God only knows if they were getting paid more than me, but I didn't care when I applied. I worked for the government before, and because I was attending college full time, I didn't have time to drive over an hour away to work. (Most of you are thinking, why not? it's ONLY over an hour away! You could've made it work!) And I agree wholeheartedly. I worked it for a while until college course schedule was changed by my instructor, which meant I had to be in class earlier than expected. I was using my annual leave to cover the cost of me leaving work early, and getting to class on time with no sleep. I loved that job! However, trying to make good grades versus making "good enough" grades came into play. I decided to get good enough grades and take a leave of absence from my good paying job. On some level, I should've stayed working and gave up college all together. But I digress...

As I was saying, I applied to a job that I used to do and was trained for. Thinking it was in Buffalo, NY, I was ready for my next adventure. Until one day, I got a call from the supervisor of the dispatching job. His voice had a "country" twang to it. I didn't think anything of it while answering questions on the phone from him. We laughed and joked for a few minutes then he asked me if I knew where this job was. I said, sure, Buffalo, confidently. He laughed and said, " Buffalo River National Parks, in Harrison, Arkansas!" I said, Okay, not a problem. I hurriedly looked up Harrison, AR on my phone. Wow! I was surprised. "Home of the KKK", "The Most Racist Town in America" streamed past my eyeballs as I try to remain calm and keep my composure. I wasn't afraid of this, mind you, I was shocked more than anything. I'm from California. There's no such thing as racism, in my book. Boy was I wrong. After seeing what was going on in the nation (Police brutality vs. The Movement; BLM; Blatant violations of civil rights; hiding behind the badge and a blatant disregard for certain human rights) Of course, that was there but not "HERE". However, I still maintain that there are good people in the world, this is a diverse nation, and there's just no place for that type of thinking. I could be wrong...

I left San Diego, CA around 2:45 pm. This was the longest drive of my life in my 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee with the transmission getting to drop at any time. I gassed her up and took off. We (and that's because my jeep is a person when you're driving 26 hours in uncharted territory!) drove slowly and cautiously eastward into the sunset. I tried to leave at a decent hour but since my last paycheck wasn't printed until AFTER 2pm, I had to wait. It was okay, the drive, at first. There were no unforeseen problems. The jeep ran fine. I was getting tired though seeing how I woke up around 0400 that morning, and was running on pure adrenalin and sunflower seeds! I arrived in Harrison, AR around 9pm Saturday 11Nov2017. The town was dead silent. I knew at that time I must've crossed over into the Twilight Zone. I drove around to get used to the town at night. It was almost a ghost town. There were a few establishments open, but not for long. I checked into the nearest cheap motel on the main drag and then went to the nearest eatery for food (aka, the Super 8 and Hardee's). There were no Jack in the Box's, no In & Out's. WTF! Okay, I digress again. I start Tuesday morning at 0800. I've got two whole days to adjust to this madness, and madness it was.

Monday, I slept. I needed to recover from the long drive and exhausting weather. It was hot, then cold, then raining. My body wasn't used to this type of weather confusion so I slept.

Tuesday morning before work, I drove to the Hardee's again to get breakfast and coffee. I really only wanted coffee but I was compelled to buy a breakfast biscuit (eggs, cheese, and bacon). After getting stared at by the drive through customers, I pulled around and was met with the cashier, who served me the night before. She asked, "You're still here?" with a smile. I said, "Of course, where else would I be!" I smiled back to let her know that I wasn't fearful of her or her question. (If it was anyone else, she probably would've gotten her feelings hurt, but it was me.) I drove to work, parked in the parking lot and proceeded to tear apart my breakfast sandwich. Piece by piece, I inspected it to see if there was anything in it that wasn't supposed to be. I only ate the bacon off of it. I inspected my coffee too, just in case. It was okay, tasted burnt but drinkable. I was escorted into the building by my new supervisor and then wanded by the security guard. I didn't receive my Identification Badge yet, although I had it done years ago in 2016. I got the gold star treatment. This day was the Quarterly All Employees Meeting at HQ! From what I was told, I was a phantom, a figment of the supervisor's imagination. He knew I was coming, hell everyone knew. I had to wait until after the election, and for the "new administration" to get their clearances done first, and mine was pushed to the bottom of the heap because of my "political affiliation". Of course, I'm speculating. Especially when there was a female that was hired after me, but started before me and her affiliation was vastly different from mine. Not only that, she lived here in this part of the woods. My woods had paved roads, clean drinking water, nicer weather, and people that weren't known for KKK sponsorships. Yes, where I'm from there are those that believe in the KKK. Hell, we know where they live and we give them a wide berth. It is just right up front and in your personal space here. Some believe that this place is cursed; misunderstood. I say that it's the past stigmatism that won't let go. There are people that still believe that the "SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN!" and "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN". I think I have a few more brain cells that work than most. I firmly believe that in order to be "GREAT AGAIN" you have to acknowledge when and where was it great to begin with. That's another story. Mine is this, Harrison isn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I keep to myself. I look people in the eye when I talk to them to let them know that I mean business when I talk. I walk with a confidence that states, I know where I'm going AND I don't need your help unless I ask you. I smile when I talk to people so they won't feel intimidated. Generally, since I'm from California, I have that "you mess with the bull, you get the horns" type attitude. (I used that metaphor because telling someone f*** with me and get shot is too harsh!)

I have been in Harrison for a few months now. I keep to myself, like I said. There's one person that I work with that believes that this "new administration" is doing more harmful than good. We speak the same language where the rest of the building think "MAGA". There's one that don't want to talk about politics although he has expressed his likeness of the new party. We keep politics out of work since what we do is detrimental to everyone else's health. I get along with everyone here but I know that my time here may be short. Although, this is Harrison, some people would like to have it the old way. No Blacks, next to no Mexicans, nearly no Asians, and definitely some Indians. I laugh since the Mexican food here is atrocious, the Chinese food is half way edible, I haven't seen an "Indian" and well, if I look in the mirror, I'm the only "Black" person here. Well, almost the only one. I saw an African-American male working in the local WalMart the other night, I stopped in my tracks. He must be a student at the local college. (Wow, did I just say that?!!) I still keep my California ways, even if it rubs co-workers the wrong way. I have my California accent and laugh at all things funny. I drive around town once a week to let everyone know that I'm still here, and I'm not a student. Mostly, everyone I've met so far, keeps to themselves. I haven't met any of the "good ol' boy's" yet but if I do, I'll let you know.