Last week, I had occasion to be riding in the car with two ladies who are 93 and 83. 93 is a good friend who I’ve played cards with many times. 83 is new. Discussion turns to an area of town nearby which has gone from extremely affluent and safe, to one with a very high crime rate in around 40 years.

 

She asks me if I think it happened because of all the Mexicans?

 

It strained my patience and good nature to calmly explain that no, I did not think any one nationality was responsible for the problem. Poverty, I explained, is the reason for high theft rates. Poor people come in every nationality the last time I checked.

 

No, 1960 hasn’t gone to hell because of the Mexicans, you narrow-minded, mean-spirited old bat. If you look at the world from a selfish little place where you’re desperate to keep what’s yours, you should really stop boasting your opinions as having virtue.

 

My sweet 93 was so very embarrassed over the course of the entire outing due to the absurd things falling out of 83’s face again and again. I mean, come on, the woman freezes her garbage in newspaper. That’s why she doesn’t have bugs, she explained to our embarrassed host after she apologized for the fruit flies who have recently taken residence in her kitchen.

 

This information doesn’t make you clever and helpful, it makes you an asshat and a bad guest. Who does that? Freezes their garbage. Is this a thing?