I've decided to exorcise the word "tacky" from my vocabulary. Living in Portland, I have come across many things that my Midwest sensibility says are tacky. People in Portland just look at these things as an opportunity to let everyone be their own unique self and express themselves in whatever way they choose. I like this West Coast attitude, and I think I will try to adopt it. The first step for me is to get rid of the word tacky. The concept of tacky is truly relative. Something that I think is tacky may not be tacky to the person who has it in their house, yard, or tattooed on their arm. Who am I to judge what is tacky in the first place?
When I really sit down and think about it, the word tacky is actually just a word that people use to show superiority of taste in some way. It is actually a very judgmental word. It is the equivalent of saying to someone "you really shouldn't legally be allowed to decorate your house, your garden, or pick the tattoos that you put on your arm."
Maybe it is time that I put away my judgments and accept people the way that they are and with the taste that they have already developed. I am currently sitting in the Muddy Waters Coffeehouse on Belmont, and I have just noticed a large, homemade poster that reads, "There is no us and them......ONLY US." I like that idea. It is definitely a call for people to unite and accept one another. I think my first, small step will be to get rid of the word tacky from my vocabulary. Goodbye tacky, I don't think I will really miss you.
