College Station, Home of the Hippie?

I realize that College Station, Texas has a certain reputation. And that reputation is definitely not synonymous with the characteristics typically attributed to “hippie.” But, thanks to Blake’s ever-changing, slow to graduate friend, I have visited good old College Station a number of times since my graduation a way long time ago in 2006 and have been exposed to an entire counter-culture seriously THRIVING in my good old Republican school. You know, the school filled with the typical good old country boys, Corps of Cadets, and attendees of the mandatory nightly Bible study.

I am aware that for the majority of people, College Station represents a certain mainstream person. Most people don’t associate College Station with anything bordering on “counter-culture.” That is for UT. I mean, it’s in AUSTIN, home of the slogan, “Keep Austin Weird.” Texas A&M students, of course, reacted with their own slogan, something slightly offensive like ”Go back to Austin, Weirdo!” or something else to that effect. In fact, while trying to look up some of the t-shirts that I saw daily on campus and have apparently banished from my memory, I came across this article in the New York Times, sure to make your heart swell with the obvious display of inclusiveness apparent at A&M. I have spent 3 years in the working world, being ridiculed by mostly UT gradate co-workers about my school and everything that is usually said about the Aggies. Which, is mostly annoying due to the fact that most of them, while UT graduates, are the stereotypical Aggies in every way – one sold cattle in high school and college, one was in the ROTC and later the N avy, and all are die-hard Republicans. They practically have “Texas A&M” tattooed on their foreheads.

I will even admit that my 4 years in College Station fit right into the mode of a typical Texas A&M experience. I joined a sorority. Went to business classes way over in West Campus. Attended Bible studies. Worked for the George Bush Foundation. There was nothing unique or out of the ordinary in my college experience. I think I only had one little glimpse of the “hippie” culture of A&M, and that involved a brief period of time where I decided I wanted to be a rock climber (so typical of me) and spent a few weeks hanging out at the climbing wall in the Rec Center, which was, at the time, a Mecca for the “alternative” sort. I was totally a poser, during these few weeks, attempting to fit in by not wearing makeup and acting like I enjoyed camping (which is fine with me, as long as there are clean bathrooms in the vicinity).

But now? I am completely inundated with students attending A&M who do not fall into the normal Aggie archetype. It has gotten to the point where, last weekend, I ventured over to my old college “haunts” (what a stupid expression) and was like, “Hey! Where’d all the SQUARES come from?” (I also became a character from the 50’s). It had been that long since I had back at A&M and hung out with the same people that I hung out with for 4 years of college. Seriously though, these people I have met since graduation…they do their own thing. They take all the gears off bikes and ride them around, despite the lack of functionality such as braking (an important functionality, in my opinion). They have giant art shows in backyards. They work in tattoo parlors and have tattoos that have no other reason for being other than, “I like buttermilk.”

Every time I go back to College Station now, at least 1-3 things happen which I thought were more than likely only possible in movies. Last time, there was talk of an actual “eviction party.” As in, a house full of boys who had found more fun uses for their money then paying rent, were planning to sell everything they owned in order to not be evicted and probably sued. Seriously? THAT HAPPENED! In real life and not in some stupid movie. I also found myself in the only situation in my life where I looked around and though, “Self, you have put yourself in a very dangerous and compromising situation. You should probably remove yourself from it immediately.” Which I did, by leaving and staring at some tomato plants in the backyard (I didn’t want to hurt any feelings! And, yes, these college students grow tomatoes in their backyards.) (Details purposefully left out, so don’t ask me, MOM.) This never happened to me while I was in college. I mean, one time Andrea and I walked to Shake’s because we really wanted ice cream and also really wanted to not be fat. That was about as crazy as it got ( I exaggerate, but not by much…don’t judge me.)

This newfound awesome College Station gives me hope for my school! Like maybe all these people can trick all their friends into attending A&M and it can expand and expand and expand until its like half and half conservative/not-conservative (couldn’t think of another word there) rather than the current ration, which is probably like 10% to 90%.

Ok. The end.