Episode One:
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It's late December - Christmas time. As usual, in my early years - I'm 4 or 5 at this time - we drive from Albuquerque, New Mexico, where my father works as a PHd mathematician for Sandia - to my Grandfather's farm, in - well - the middle of nowhere - somewhat near Everton, Missouri.
It's a fun time for me. One day, my Grandfather, Father and I hike out into the woods on the edge of the farm to cut down a Christmas tree.
And yet, an undercurrent of... something wrong pervades. I don't remember all the details... but, at some point, there's a gathering in Grandfather's house. I'm in a side-room with my Mother, who is distraught. She tells me that Grandfather is prejudiced. When I ask Mom, what "prejudiced" means - she says that Grandfather doesn't like her.
Episode Two:
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I'm now 14-or-so. My cousins and I are on Grandfather's farm - or, perhaps I should say, Grandmother's farm as Grandfather passed away about 7 years ago...
So let me restart...
My cousins and I are on Grandmother's farm. My Uncle and Aunt drove to Missouri on summer vacation along with their 4 children. My Mother and Aunt are best friends, and everything is wonderful.
My Father, though, is upset with Uncle. Each year our family visits Grandmother's farm, and Father pitches in. Our farm derives its livelihood from raising cattle, feeding them on hay grown on our acreage.
My Father has learnt from his Father the ethic of hard work. Of what it means to be a man: a man must pitch in; a man must not rely on others except in need; a man must earn his keep.
Because of Father's ethic, he runs into conflict with Uncle, who is simply at the farm at his wife's behest. Father confronts Uncle and makes clear that this is no picnic... and that Uncle must earn his way.
Next day, Uncle is out with Father driving tractors, bailers, and combiners... using a pitchfork to lift 50 lb hay bales to pitch them up to Father in our barn. I too pitch in - but due to my youth I'm not helping much.
The following day, Uncle is in complete agony - in bed - unable to move. It turns out that Uncle had a back condition - which all the hard work of the previous day - flared up. Father feels bad about this.
Episode Three:
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I'm now 15-or-so. My family drives to Missouri to visit Grandmother. As usual, this is on a Greyhound bus. It takes roughly 3 days (we now live in Livermore, CA - my father still works for Sandia - we moved to Sandia-Livermore when I was a bit short of 6). Supposedly taking Greyhound is less expensive than driving to Missouri in a car - or - than flying to Missouri and then renting a car. The trip - as usual - is fucking awful.
We eventually arrive at Grandmother's, having rented a car near the bus depot and then driving to the farm.
When we arrive, I immediately set out to the basement. It's got a pool table (I'm not much into pool) - but also a ping-pong table: and I love playing ping-pong.
My little brother - he's a year or so younger than I am - begin playing ping-pong.
Roughly 5 minutes later - Father storms into the basement. He's livid. He takes off his belt, runs at me, and proceeds to whip me 2 or 3 times across the buttocks. He's upset that Brother and I did not recognize the farm work ethic - in his mind, we were on Grandmother's farm to pitch in... and play was only to be contemplated once chores were done.
I - of course - was fucking pissed off at this - and seriously contemplated running away.
Grandmother was mortified... later, Father calmed down... and was, in fact, very sorry, for his actions.
Episode Four:
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Years, and years later. Father has died and so has Mother. I'm now 46 years old. Among Father's belongings, I find a diary kept by Grandmother...
In one of the entries, she confesses her like for Grandfather - she attended the same grade school as he. In the diary she reveals that Grandfather is very smart - which she likes - but that he intentionally hides his intelligence - to fit in among his peers.
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Takeaways as to what some rural conservatives may believe...
From Episode One:
Rural Americans are prejudiced against others that do not look like them. Even those who are far more open-minded on this issue than others (e.g., my father who married an asian-looking woman from the pacific island of Guam) are prejudiced even if they don't realize this.
From Episode Two:
Self-reliance and work ethic are very strong. Anyone not obviously pitching in is disdained. The undercurrent of not trusting government partially stems from this.
Rural Americans don't see a need for big government. Indeed... I remember Father saying something along the lines that there are only two legitimate reasons for government, namely: 1) to protect against foreign invasion, and; 2) to deliver the mail.
From Episode Three:
Rural American's hold some of their values in extremis. Fall short of their beliefs, and you might well face attempted physical punishment.
From Episode Four:
Book-smart intelligence is disliked. Better to hide ones intelligence than to be caught out as a smarty-pants.
There's a built-in distrust of anyone claiming to know better about any topic whatsoever.