Page 56 - Flathead Beacon // 1.22.13

56 | JANUARY 22, 2014
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OUT OF BOUNDS Rob Breeding
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Notes from the Border,

Part III

W
HILE DOWN SOUTH LAST threw a football in a random direction,
month I stopped in a big box the odds are you would hit a Canadian

store to pick up some supplies
rather than a local.
before heading of to camp and hunt. It Down south is diferent. There’s the
was the early evening and the store in language diference. There’s a cultural
Nogales, Ariz., was crowded and long diference, too, though not what you may
lines stretched from each cash register. think. If anything, the structure of Mex-
Shoppers were even 10 deep in the self- ican families is wound tighter than non-
checkout lanes.
Hispanic families in the U.S. The cultur-

I wasn’t in a hurry so I got in line and al diferences have more to do with alu-
waited. Eventually I neared the register ence. Our Canadian neighbors share in
with only one customer in front of me, a lifestyle characterized by abundance.
and her cart was nearly empty. Then the That’s not usually the case with our
Your Rotary
rest of the family arrived, dumping loads neighbors to the south.
of items in the cart. The woman, I’m Things are changing in the border
guessing a mom, turned to me and said canyons where I hunt quail. Five years
something in Spanish. I had zoned out so ago many of my favorite spots were
Club of Kalispell
the fact that she was speaking a language trashed by the refuse of undocumented
other than English was probably only a immigrants. Empty water bottles, food
minor factor in my startled lack of com- cans and backpacks were abandoned
Solves Problems!
prehension.
when they were no longer needed. It
“Excuse me?” I mumbled.
didn’t afect the hunting, as Mearns’
Mom turned to address the cashier. quail seem quite content to ignore rusty
I don’t speak Spanish, but I’m familiar Spam cans as they root around the grass-

enough with the language to get the gist lands. But it did, however slightly, spoil
WORLDWIDE
of what they were saying. She was ex- the experience. It sucked to hike back
plaining my lingual limitations to the into what you thought was a deserted,
• Working towards eradicating Polio worldwide - cashier. That’s when I realized I might untouched canyon, only to ind the re-
be the only person in the crowded store fuse of endless human migration.
solving a huge problem
who didn’t speak Spanish. Then the More importantly, we seemed to
woman glanced at the handful of items lose our sense of safety along the border.
• Helped drill water wells in Pakistan
under my arm and indicated she wanted Most of the people coming across were
• Delivered container of wheel chairs to Peru
me to step ahead of her in line.
harmless; just folks looking to make a
• Purchased van for transporting AIDS patients
It was all very friendly and I found better life for themselves and their fami-
it amusing the way everyone seemed lies. Back when it was possible for even
in South Africa
amused that I was the only dude in the undocumented workers to ind good-
• Supports library and learning center in Mexico
joint who didn’t speak the language.
paying jobs sweeping up construction
I took Spanish in high school, but sites it was no surprise so many made
- student scholarships
skated through college in an era before the journey from Old Mexico. But those
foreign language requirements were a
• World Peace and Conlict Resolution Studies
days are gone.
part of the curriculum. That’s too bad.
It feels safer along the border now,
LOCALLY
Montana has its own international but I’m not sure this isn’t an illusion.
border, though it couldn’t be more difer- Those seeking work on busy construc-
• Coordinates and administers Rotary Basketball ent than Arizona’s. Other than the slight tion sites are no longer in the canyons.
inconvenience of the border crossing, But drug traickers — trespassers who
for over 900 youths annually
it’s hard to tell you’ve moved from one pose a real threat even to armed hunters
• Raised funds to construct Babe Ruth Baseball country to another when you visit Can- — are compelled to walk north by a force

Fields
ada. The language diferences are slight, that didn’t wane with the collapse of the
though noticeable if you’re paying close housing market.
• Supports Boy Scout Troops
attention. I work in a Kalispell sport- Unfortunately, it’s a compulsion that
• Rings bell for Salvation Army
ing goods store during the summer and may never be satiated.
on some weekends we joke that if you
• Donates to local Food Banks, Samaritan

House, & Flathead Youth Home
THANKS FOR LISTENING!!!

• Purchases and distributes dictionaries to all
Montana third graders
1 STATION WEEKENDS
#
• Raised funds to construct Miracle League Field

Solved a lot of Problems!

VOICE OF THE GRIZ-BRONCOS-WILDCATS

Evergreen - Tues. 12:00pm @ Perkins

Whiteish - Tues. 12:00pm @ Moose Lodge 642
Bigfork - Wed. 12:00pm @ Methodist Church
Columbia Falls - Wed. 12:00pm @ Back Room

Kalispell Daybreak - Thur. 7:00am @ Buffalo Hills Golf Course
Kalispell Noon - Thur. 12:00pm @ Hilton Garden
KOFIRADIO.COM
*EASTLAN FALL 2013 M-F 6AM-10AM ADULTS 18+ CUME