The ‘C’ Word

When people ask me where I’m from, I say:

Oh, I was born and raised in Eureka, in Humboldt County. Right on Pacific Ocean. Misty lagoons. Six Rivers. Very isolated. Bigfoot Country. Just south of the Oregon border.

Never, ever, do I say the ‘C’ word.

The ‘C’ word means Palm trees. I’m from a place with Redwood forests older than the birth of Jesus.

The ‘C’ word conjures visions of surfer chicks who run in slow motion. Our surfers wear heavy wetsuits, risk hypothermia and ride waves that sink fish...