Idaho Natives

Recently, I was coming into the parking lot, with a woman around my age at the same time. For purposes of anonymity, I won’t spell out her license plates, but I have been wondering forever, “To what do they translate?” I had been thinking “I donate….,” so I asked her, “What do you donate to? I am having a hard time deciphering your tags; they’ve been a curiosity of mine for a while.”

She mentioned, “It means Idaho native.”

“Oh,” I said, “I was trying to figure out what you donate to! Ha. Ha….” I was amused as I drove off, largely because I didn’t get it from the start. Beyond that, however, apparently not being someone didn’t damage my ego. It made me giggle at the fact that this woman was proud enough of something to put it on her tags, but that it is probably not deciphered by most.

Whatever the case, I suspect that this speaks to something more substantial, a fear I have coming to Idaho from Chicago. From my perspective, at least it’s not California, which is more typically derided by the locals here in Boise, the same way it assuredly is in Colorado. For me, though, it always begs the question, about xenophobia. I suppose xenophobia is predicated from the classic human condition of fearing an altering of the status quo. At the same time, however, I recall always being quite excited about something new and different, from childhood through adulthood. I guess, from my perspective, that’s when things are the most fun and the least mundane.

I suspect, at the same time, however, there are those, myself included, that come somewhere with sensibilities contrary to what people have known and loved for years. Examples I was just speaking about last night: Here in Idaho, water that is too cheap to encourage conservation; the need to make speaking on a mobile while driving a violation, something for which someone could receive a ticket. I think if one were to poll Idahoans, they would probably find those opinions quite contrary to their ideas of what is right, etc…

I suppose it’s something to consider.