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Small Town Oil Field Life (Pictured is an ariel view of Monahans, TX)
I am Caucasian and my family has a long line of being born on American soil (my father’s family I have traced back 14 generations in the United States). I grew up in West Texas in a very small town, Monahans, that heavily relies on oil field. To give myself a labeled culture, I would have to say oil field brat and red neck mixture. If you ever hear me speak, although I am educated and have an extensive vocabulary, I will let the red neck slang out every time. -
Father's side- Samuel Rayford Bundick and Katie Lou Washburn Bundick My great grandparents
On my father’s side my great grandparents were farmers and ranchers. My great grandfather Bundick, also worked building the damn in Possum Kingdom Lake and other governmental jobs that benefited the community where he lived. My grandfather left home and moved to West Texas meeting my grandmother at the Eagles Lodge while Roy Orbison was playing but not yet famous. -
Father's side working (Pictured normal scenery in West Texas oil field country)
My grandfather retired from BJ Services (oil field), while my great uncle retired from Haliburton. My uncle was an oil field hand working on drilling rigs as a floor hand or on a nipple up crew. My father worked in the oil field most of my childhood as a water hauler, kill truck driver, and then as a crane operator. -
My mother's family (Pictured are some women working as rivet girls during WW2)
On my mother’s side my great great grandparents were cotton farmers in Hill County. My great grandma had her husband walk out on her and she ended up raising two children alone during the Great Depression. She worked as a rivet girl in Fort Worth during World War 2, later moving to West Texas and remarried. My grandparents split up after four years of marriage, dropping four children off on my great grandmother’s door step. -
My mother growing up (Pictured a typical pumpers lease)
My great grandmother at age 50 took in a 4-year-old, a 3-year-old, a 2-year-old, and a 1-year-old. My mother was burned severely at age 4 and ended up in Houston a lot from age 4-12 to get skin grafts and so forth, so my great grandmother, needing more money for my mother’s care, went to work in the oil field as a pumper and did so until almost 80 years old. My mother has always been a stay at home wife and mother, never wanting anything more from life, she had me at age 17. -
Me growing up (pictured is my A&M graduation my daughters were the ones there for the graduation)
I was again condemned when I stated that I would take care of us and if I found a man later good, because having a man take care of me had no worked very well for me so far. My father and mother have become more relaxed as they have aged, but growing up my father was extremely prejudiced. He believed that his children should only ever date, befriend, or marry white. -
My parents (Pictured are Michael Ray Bundick and Cynthia Ann Heath Bundick, my parents)
Growing up being a high school graduate was important but anything more was not important for the girls as we should be trained in being a good wife and mother. My father is a die-hard advocate of the man earning the living and the woman staying home. I was condemned when I went to college and refused to find another man to marry after my second divorce. My father made it clear that due to me having children I needed to find an older oil field worker and get married to have him take care of us -
Parental cultural boundaries (Pictured is a 1991 picture of my family Dad, Mom, Heath and I)
Now my sister is married for 11 years to a Hispanic man, one of my grandsons are half African American, and I have dated a Hispanic, Catholic woman. No one has been condemned for these things, huge progress for him. My mother always told us when Dad was not around that you cannot help who you fall in love with but do not ever be with a Catholic. -
Texas Pride (My father flies several of the flags of Texas, the American flag and the Confederate flag at the lake place)
My father still has huge pride in the heritage of the South and of Texas. In his eyes, it is great to be an American, but even better to be a Texan. My father is a supporter of Texas succeeding, he is a firm believer in guns and says his home will fight for a Texas revolution. My brother is the same way. I do not own a gun, and will not stand and fight, I will move into the mountains and live in a cave off the land. My parents were even married on Texas Independence Day. -
Coming out of the cultural closet (Pictured is a shot taken at my 20-yr high school reunion, we graduated 197 people and this is what showed for the reunion)
As far as other cultures and things, I have learned either through school in Monahans, by dating, by moving out of Monahans, and by going to college. At school growing up I did not listen to my parents and had friends of other ethnicities, religions, and cultures. I am a member of all the churches in Monahans as I have completed their requirements for being a member, my mother is Church of Christ and my father is an Atheist. -
Family bed time stories that made me proud (Picture is of a memorial tattoo I had done when my grandfather passed away)
Some of my favorite stories of my family include my grandfather lying to the United States to join the military to fight for his country. My grandfather (the later biker) was 14 when he enlisted into the Marines and served our country in the Korean War. Many of my favorites come from my independent great grandmother. There was not child support or government aid for single mothers back during the Great Depression. -
More of the stories growing up (Pictured old car shot up and burned after a long chase of these two)
She told of one story where everyone in the neighborhood knew that some infamous criminal was around Fort Worth. She told that each week she spent 10 cents on a large bag of potato chips and a soda for her children. They walked four blocks to get these then went to the park to play. One day the female part of this infamous duo stopped my great grandmother. She asked her where she went once a week each week, she had been noticing the pattern. -
More cultural bending
As an adult I, have chosen to live as a Naturalist/Wiccan, believing more like those of the ancient ancestors. My parents would have never allowed the three children to have gay friends back in school. I learned more about that when I was an adult, by checking out the internet and searching things to learn. I identify as a pan sexual, meaning that gender does not play a role in attractiveness to me. I have dated men, women, and transgender all being equally attractive in their own ways. -
And the plot thickens (Bonnie and Clyde, notorious bank robbers and murderers)
My great grandmother explained it, this woman asked her to wait and went into the house. When she came back out she handed my great grandmother $5 and told her to do something extra special for the children that she was a hard-working woman and they all deserved it. That woman who did this kind gesture for my great grandmother was Bonnie, of Bonnie and Clyde. My great grandmother explained that rarely did anyone turn them in, in fact they helped hide them. -
Disrespect as a culture (Just a visual picture no relation)
In my family, the elderly is not treated any differently. Most encourage friendship roles instead of wisdom/guidance positions. My mother is proud to be called a “B***h” and encourages family to call her such. She also gives a role model of encouraging grandchildren to behave in manners that includes fits, angry outbursts, cursing, and over all bad behavior. She claims to stop it is to destroy their spirit. -
Lack of affection (Pictured is my high school Senior picture, I was living out on my own by this time. My parents wanted me to adopt out or abort my baby that I had gotten pregnant with my Junior year. I kept the baby and was on my own at 17)
My mother gives of tough love and although she will say it she has no compassion or sympathy/empathy. My father comes from a long line of non-touching family who works relentless hours and never is around from working to show their love. I was hugged for the first time by him at age 30 and he finally told me in a text that he loved me a few years ago, I am 40. -
Estranged family (Just a visual)
When the family gets together, its rarely even half of us. When the great grandparents were alive it was Hallmark gatherings for all gatherings. Now its grilling, television, drinking, and bonfires. Sometimes it meeting at my parents’ lake place and fishing or swimming while the other events are taking place. -
Sibling unlove (Pictured my sister Stacy and I years ago on a night out together)
I have two siblings and my brother (three years younger than me) does not speak to either sister. I have not spoken to him since 2009 when my uncle passed away. My sister (ten years younger than me) and I are not really getting along lately. The whole family seems to now be all for themselves and not have any idea what family means. My parents live in Monahans, my brother lives in Brownwood, my sister lives in Colorado City, and I live in Bowie (just settled into my new home on Friday). -
Children (pictured are Katie Austin Bundick, Jennifer Nicole Fitzgerald, Lindsey Roynelle Fitzgerald, and Brittany Machelle Fitzgerald names in order of age)
My middle daughter lives with me (three of my grandchildren), one twin daughter lives in Wickett,TX, my oldest lives in Midland, TX (two grandchildren), and the youngest and other twin lives in Gardendale, TX (two grandchildren and one on the way). -
The cultural blessings of aging Grandchildren (Pictured are all of my grandchildren)
Hunter age 5, LeeAnna age3, Jayden age2, Samantha age1, Josephine age 8 months, Braxton age 5 months, Oliver age 1 month, and the sonogram of granddaughter number 4 and grandbaby number 8 which is due in December.
