My Experience With An American Trucker In A Mexican Bar-- The"Learning Curve" Keeps Getting Bigger--

 



I just had a conversation two days ago with an American trucker in a bar here in Mexico, visiting on vacation. Unprompted, when he saw I was an American, (noticing my Sixers cap) he told me he is unvaxxed, will never wear a mask except during air travel, and supports the so-called "Freedom Convoy."

I asked him, "have you had covid"? He said "f**k yeah, you kidding"? You drive all day and take showers in Truck stops with high traffic, you know you're gonna get it." I asked him how it was, and he said, "well, I got it three times, the first time I couldn't breathe and almost died. Got long covid, was half out of it for a few months, got it a couple more more times, mainly in the head, big headaches, and lotsa' pain in my legs and calves, I think it was blood clots."

After a minute of stunned silence, I asked him if he ever went to the ER to get checked and have an ultrasound on his legs. He said "naah man, I took off a week the first time, but I just can't be bothered with all that medical sh*t, and I ain't lettin' them poke me, if I die, I die."

I couldn't restrain myself, and gently suggested that blood clots often travel to the heart, lungs, and brain, could cause a severe stroke and leave him paralyzed or worse, not dead. I mentioned blood thinners, in the hope that he was not too drunk or stupid to process the idea. His response was to say that he was covered, totally immune now that he's had it three times, and didn't need anything. 

So, just because the guy seemed somewhat of an endearing Trumpian and I was in a lugubrious condition, I asked him if he was aware of the idea of variants. At this point, he kind of squinted as he stared me down and said, "Ya know friend, I'm kinda' uncomfortable with the way this conversation is goin'," then got up to use the Men's room. 

So a few minutes later he came back and started a new conversation about housing and property prices in Puerto Escondido, that he was looking, and despite his being in his 40's was looking to retire soon, selling his home in Florida. He said he loved it here. I couldn't help but ask, "what do you like about it here"?  His response? "It's so free here, like the girls are awesome, they go topless on the beaches and I saw saw some of the perkiest...." At that point I cut him off and asked what he thought of the Jacksonville football team's new coach, Doug Peterson, who was the Eagles Super Bowl-winning coach. "Don't follow football man, I like NASCAR, wrestling and the horses". 

Having reached a complete dead end, I advised him to get vaxxed, join the Democratic Party, and to not move here because housing prices were going to skyrocket. Then I called out to our mesero and said "¡La cuenta por favor!" and got up to leave.  I didn't ask him for his number either, in what emphatically was not an oversight.  

I've had a few encounters of this type recently, and they only get better. I do think I learned something from the conversation though. Now I know better the guys who are driving around in circles to defend their freedom, and what they think freedom is. Every day is something new, yes?

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