That last blog post about Polish music made me feel good. I love when people keep the old music and dances alive. You’d think I wouldn’t relate, being a mostly mainstream American. I used to think old music is for old people.

But looking back, I could sing along to “In Heaven There Is No Beer” and just like everyone else in my hometown. Parents at the football game acted like it was the National Anthem. And it was fun as hell.

It seemed crazy to me when we first moved from the Texas Hill Country to the coastal bend (close enough to catch a hurricane, too far to go to the beach).

Most folks listened to rock and country, just like everywhere, but German, Polish and Czech settlers had left their mark.

Area dance halls were hopping on the weekends. They played country or Tejano, but polka was still alive. You could hear it on the radio.

I never went to dance halls, but I got second-hand reports from friends. It sounded like a ton of fun. My religion (Baptist) thought dance halls were for sinner on their way to hell, like Catholics and Lutherans.

Along with the dancing — and Catholics and Lutherans — came alcohol. Lots of it. And it wasn’t a big deal to these folks. If they said they didn’t drink and you saw them with a beer, they’d go, “What? This is beer.” It didn’t even count.

I once saw a couple put beer in their baby’s bottle at a festival. My little Baptist heart was shocked, but it was a custom, probably going back to Germany or Poland. Baby goes to sleep. Parents dance all night.

It was a culture shock at first. We’d never been in a place where Baptists were outnumbered by Catholics. In more “Southern” parts of the state, alcohol was a sin. You had to be sneaky.

(Rule of thumb: Always take at least two Baptists fishing. If you just take one he’ll drink all your beer.)

It wasn’t a sin to these families. They could drink at dinner or at parties and the kids could run around and play, maybe take a sip of daddy’s beer. Totally wholesome. After a while you got used to it (did I ever).

I had to sneak around so some church lady wouldn’t rat on me, but I definitely got a taste for beer (I was a Budweiser guy. Shiner was nearby, but Shiner beer wasn’t hip back then. It was for old people.) Being a Baptist didn’t stop me at all. Though I was right there in church looking innocent on Sundays.

Never did learn to dance. (Why don’t Baptists have sex standing up? So people won’t think they’re dancing.) I used being a Baptist as an excuse, but I was really just shy and had no game. Baptists don’t care about dancing any more.

I still don’t dance. I’d just as soon not. But I enjoy watching others do it. It’s a great reminder that we’re human beings and not just consumers.

#Polka, #Folk, #Culture, #Heritage, #Music, #Beer, #Baptists