My Little Town

I was sitting here today thinking about what I could talk about next that would be entertaining. Then it hit me....my town. Of course, what could be more entertaining than telling everyone about where I live? Where do I even begin? Well.... it's a small rural town, nothing much in the form of excitement ever happens, most of us will die from boredom instead of old age. We do have some very colorful people that live here. Some have passed-away, and or relocated, the majority grace us with their presence on a daily basis. Our East End Park seems to be a draw for some, they consider the public water fountain to be their own personal water park. I swear it's true. On hot summer days you can see them congregating with their offspring, splashing and wading around in the fountain. This is a big family event. They sometimes even bring their lawn chairs and lunch. Some even bring refreshments wrapped in brown paper bags. As if we didn't know what was inside. (Wink..wink) And how did some of them get here you may ask??? Well...by shopping cart of course. They borrow shopping carts from the local grocery stores and use them as a source of transportation, not only for their groceries, bottle returns and laundry, be it clean or dirty, depending when you see them, but they also use them as baby carriages. Yes, it's true. Would I lie about such a thing? You can see our beloved citizens pushing store shopping carts all over town with their kids and personal belongings inside of them. Why buy a baby carriage or a car when a shopping cart will do. Shopping carts are multi-functional in my little town, they serve so many purposes. And best of all, they're free for the taking, well...until a policeman pulls you over for stealing. But it's not really stealing, it's borrowing long-term until you get caught."

There is a label for these folks who do the odd activities that I just mentioned. They are called "Raggies." I'll get into that definition and how it all came about shortly. Along with looking less than desirable next to the rest of the citizens who live here, most don't work and are on welfare, pop-out children like they were human Pez dispensers, and have little or no teeth in their heads. Some even have appliances on their front or back porches, and for sheer ambiance, they even have them strategically placed on their front yards. Nothing says Better Homes And Gardens than seeing a washing machine that no longer works sitting on ones porch. And what could be even better than a matched pair of non-working appliances? Junk cars!! They are a wonderful addition to the appliance collection, it's a must have for any home owner seriously going for the "Scrappy Chic" look. To be a honest to goodness Raggie, you also have to be fluent in curse words. The word F*ck seems to be a favorite among all Raggies young and old. It just seems to meld with an array of other words that they may be using at the time of conversation, it flows like a fine wine, or in their case, a cheap bottle of Mad Dog 20-20. ie,. "I had a f*cking fight with the f*cking a$$holes down at the f*cking welfare office this f*cking morning. F*cking p*ssed me off. F*ck!" See how well it marries with everything listed in the book of Webster? (Dictionary for those slow on the draw) ;)

Many Raggies share in a friendly game of "Who's Your Daddy?" The game starts with a female of any age sleeping with Tom, Dick or Harry, or all three, and then becomes pregnant. Upon becoming pregnant comes the daunting task of guessing who the sperm donor was. "Hell if I know!!" is commonly heard. Next there's the art of throwing a dart into the phone book for a name. After all...you need a last name. Could this be your daddy? The name is then used on the birth certificate of the child that will now be on welfare for the next eighteen years that you and I as Joe Tax Payer gets to rejoice in supporting. This works out wonderfully for the new mother. I work my ass off for 40-plus hours a week, while they sit on theirs, shopping with food stamps, receiving free health and dental care, and living high on public assistance. All of these benefits are handed out freely because they popped-out a child that they couldn't financially support on their own. Many have tribes. One child is a mistake, two....well...you aren't the brightest crayon in the box, but three? No way!! Lock you knees shut, and join the rest of the moral majority that are working to support our families. I hate to even call out sick due to all of those on welfare counting on me to work every day, so they don't have to. I have raised four children along with my husband. If we can work every damn day, so should they. Am I not right?

Okay. I promised the definition of "Raggie" so here it is. And you can also view more colorful descriptions on Urban Dictionary.com. Or even do a Google search if you are bored. Quote: "A term that is used, almost exclusively by residents of Northwestern Connecticut, in a derogatory fashion. 2. A name once given to the workers of charcoal pits on Mt. Riga, located in Salisbury,CT, to label those who were of a poor working class ( mostly Dutch immigrants ). The ash and soot from the charcoal burning pits would force these workers to tie handkerchiefs or "rags" to their faces in order to filter the acrid air. The term "raggies" refers to their use of these rags. "Raggies would often come down from the mountain , for lunch, to eat in downtown Salisbury". AKA: "Lazy white trash that do not contribute to society. Expecting everything that they receive to be handed to them with out working for it." I could get into naming and giving personal descriptions of some of these Raggie's but many are searching out easy money, and I won't give them the satisfaction of suing me for liable, slander, and defamation of character. Oh...they are characters alright.

Many Raggies have their own way of decorating. The tradition of hanging draperies, curtains or blinds are a "Fashion faux Pas" for a Raggie. Raggies tend to use bedding for window treatments. ie,...sheets, blankets or pillow cases, and on the rare occasion that one is feeling patriotic, they hang an American Flag in their windows. Some drop the window down, put the blanket, sheet, etc,. over the top of the window, and then pull it up and then close it shut. Thus you can see the bedding not only from the inside of the window, but on the outside as well. Ingenious! You get two looks in one. Oh..I could go on forever, but why bother? Because it's fun, that's why. LOL! I think I have given you all a pretty good visual of what a Raggie is. If I have missed something in the description, by all means please add in your own two cents. I am off for now, some of us actually have to go to bed early to get up for jobs. What a concept. A job pays your bills so you don't have to be on public assistance. Brilliant!!