The

The In my late 20s, I moved from Germany to a small town in Texas with a population of 17,000.

The location was almost a two-hour drive to the nearest bigger city.

As an avid lifelong animal lover, I got involved with the local humane society and animal shelter.

There I learned to my horror that all wildlife in need of help was being euthanized, because there was nobody who would take on the rescue missions.

Fast forward a year, and thanks to the

gracious support of the boy and Girl Scouts, I had a fully built rescue with enclosures, cages,

and necessary facilities to obtain a wildlife rehabilitation permit from the state after a thorough

inspection. I also received help and donations from the local population, such as blankets,

animal food, and crates. During one of those visits, I met Richard. He was a typical redneck,

living way out in the country, relying mainly on hunting and growing his own food. When in town,

he would drop off any extra food that he had left for my animals.

Over the next few years, he often came around to lend a helping hand, cutting down trees,

repairing things, and providing supplies. He was a good friend, and he would talk for hours

about personal issues. Richard was a rough guy, and although he bragged and exaggerated, he was

always respectful and polite to me. He never hit on me in any way. He was just a good friend

whom I knew I could call when I needed him and vice versa. Richard was a single father living

with his parents who helped him raise his son, Rich, after the mother ran off chasing some drug habit.

I met his son a few times and watched him grow up. When he was a teenager, they often came by after attending a gun show,

shouldering rifles and bragging about their weapon collection. I felt very uncomfortable during those visits.

You don't see many guns in Germany and ending up in Texas, that was a huge part of my culture shock.

I still haven't gotten used to it after living in this country for more than 30 years.

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