When you live in the South, you make a kind of commitment. We are at the bottom of most lists: literacy, infant morality, high school graduate rates, and so on.
But we top many lists: Obesity (the county I live in is one of the most obese in the country....or maybe even the world), murder rate, drop out rates for high school and college, teen pregnancy, UFO sightings (I'm not kidding), and the number of weird weather events. Everything from earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and locusts (OK, I'm kidding about the locusts, but I did see some strange bugs munching on our peas today.)
But the picture would not be complete unless you considered, the writers, the music, the food, and college football.
When you look at the globe, there are few places that have it all. I love California, but most of those folks have never heard of grits, or fried green tomatoes. Ireland has some great writers, and they're very fond of music, but most of them have never heard of the Crimson Tide.
The thing is, when we live in a place, we learn to take the good with the bad. We keep our sanity by focusing on the things we love, and try to do what we can to make sense of the bad, and do what we can to improve the place we call home.
Today when I looked at the weather, one of the projected paths of hurricane Isaac has it heading into the mouth of Mobile Bay.
That last blow that did that was still a hurricane when the eye came over our house in the wee morning hours, and we are over 200 miles inland.
The upside is, Alabama plays Michigan to open the College Football season in 10 days. I just hope the power is back on by then.
But we top many lists: Obesity (the county I live in is one of the most obese in the country....or maybe even the world), murder rate, drop out rates for high school and college, teen pregnancy, UFO sightings (I'm not kidding), and the number of weird weather events. Everything from earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and locusts (OK, I'm kidding about the locusts, but I did see some strange bugs munching on our peas today.)
But the picture would not be complete unless you considered, the writers, the music, the food, and college football.
When you look at the globe, there are few places that have it all. I love California, but most of those folks have never heard of grits, or fried green tomatoes. Ireland has some great writers, and they're very fond of music, but most of them have never heard of the Crimson Tide.
The thing is, when we live in a place, we learn to take the good with the bad. We keep our sanity by focusing on the things we love, and try to do what we can to make sense of the bad, and do what we can to improve the place we call home.
Today when I looked at the weather, one of the projected paths of hurricane Isaac has it heading into the mouth of Mobile Bay.
That last blow that did that was still a hurricane when the eye came over our house in the wee morning hours, and we are over 200 miles inland.
The upside is, Alabama plays Michigan to open the College Football season in 10 days. I just hope the power is back on by then.
Ya you guys have some pretty bad weather and with so many fat people I wonder why airlines are making smaller seats and shorter seat belts. Makes no sense.lol
ReplyDeleteBut we also have the tallest people.
North America is indeed something special, and it would be sad if all this changed.
I just made some fried green tomatoes yesterday...and they were goooooodddd...but my Mother-in-law was a southerner and I learned from her. (she loved her grits!..me, not so much) Every place has ups and downs. My brother always finds the most fun and interesting things he can where ever he lives..good advice and makes life worth living. So enjoy your little piece of heaven and please beat Michigan...(Ohio will cheer you on!)
ReplyDeleteWe have Nor'easters... which I'd take to hurricanes any day. When you have an alternate heating source, there is nothing better than being snowed in for two days. The last one? My first year in the house... 3 feet of snow overnight, they needed a bulldozer and bucket loader to remove enough snow to get the plow down my street.
ReplyDeleteSorry boss man... not coming to work today... stayed home with the kids, had hot chocolate, and did puzzles.
Stay safe.
Be glad you will get rain. We are in the part of Arkansas that is in severe drought. The worst since 1937.
ReplyDeleteStay safe.
I live in a small town in the midwest. Everybody waves, smiles and knows eachother.
ReplyDeleteI like it, although it would be nice to NOT have to talk to 50 people every time I go to Walmart sometimes. And then again, I wouldn't have it any other way.
I love the city but home is home.
Roll Tide!! I hail from Tuscaloosa. I am one of the 4/27/11 folks. my words to you are batteries and water. Be safe...
ReplyDelete