“Unlike Anarchy in the Tenth Grade" by Greg Graffin

Eusebio Castillo                                                                                                                                  

Professor/Goodwin

English 223A

13 October 2008

Assignment # 2

THE SOCIAL MISFITS THAT WE MUST OVERCOME

IN LIFE TO UNALINIATE FROM THOSE

THAT WE HATE BUT WE LOVE

In 1976 I must have been living in the State of Puebla where I used to live with Ruth, Nohemi, Alex, Josue, Jorge, Mom and Dad.  Divorce in my village was unheard-of around this time. “Unlike Anarchy in the Tenth Grade” my parents were going through some rough times for the fact that my dad used to drink cheap Mexican beer and other homemade remedies his friends prepare for him. I think he also cheated on my mother and used to hang around with criminals who stole cattle from the nearby villages.

Nothing like Greg Graffin whose immediate life and survival was challenged and harassed by, “ the geeks, nerds, dorks, wimps, and pussies  (or worse, wussies)” for his deficient 'knowingness' to communicate with the rock bands that he used to hang around with  and with the world of the farandula of “Rodney on the Roq ‘(on station KROQ) ‘ ”. Although, liquor, beer, honey-water and mescal were my dad’s consumption to get intoxicated because in those days psychiatry drugs weren’t yet prevalent and peyote didn’t really grow in my village. My dad had to also escalate among his gang, he had to learn to ride colts, break down stallions, manicure mares, raise a foal, vaccinate, and last but not least fitted them with horseshoes. Then, had to learn to shot rifles and pistols from all calibers and target practice. You were not consider a lower class if you didn’t do any of these things, my dad used to do, because I want to assume the people in town didn’t really believe or thought in measures of lower class, second-class, upper class; however, if you belong to a gang and you failed at demonstrating your cowboy’s vigor you simply were ridicule and disrespected by your team.

It was survival for my father to participate in some of the activities with his teammates accordingly if he pulled back when necessitated of their friendship and help to plant, harvest and haul fertilizers for his land they will not be there for him. If he was in need of a pair of oxen or mules to put the yoke to fix his land because he didn’t have them for whatever reason.  He will go to his brother (Felix) or friends and they will help him to get what he needed. Even, if my dad needed more land for plantation, they will provide it.  I want to assume my dad is a good person but survival in the forties, fifties, sixties, seventies and eighties in my village was hell. We used to drink water from the rivers where animals defecated and urinated and where women washed their laundry. I don’t endorse the fact that he deviated to commit some illegal and immoral acts but here we are alive because dad learned to overcome many of the challenges that life gave him. I am sure he hated being alienated from his church because I observed him not attending and because on one occasion he communicated to me that he was undignified of the life he used to live or that he was living. Mom told me that dad didn’t belong to his teammates but I say he did because I am alive. I am dignified to be his son, their son. Just like Greg Graffin is dignified to have gotten in to his next Ph.D. program.