Where I'm From

I am from bikes, backyard ditches, locusts shells and homemade decks, from Barbies, Oodles, Disney World, The Dukes of Hazzard and Clue and from parties thrown by my parents, found kittens, first sips of beer from my dad and sleepovers.

I am from the suburbs of Jackson, MS, from the brick house at the end of a street right across from the bus stop where Corey kicked me in the thigh and my mom went and cussed him out in private, from a room with dark yellow wallpaper with little blue flowers and twin beds, from a neighborhood in the ‘80’s where you could run from your house to your best friends house 2 houses down without encountering a fence or an angry old man, from a brand new stucco house in central Florida where I could walk to school, from a house where the beach and Disney World is only 45 minutes away, from a neighborhood where many of my friends lived within walking distance, from a house where my first pet disappeared, from a house in New Orleans (but not THAT house as depicted by The Animals) where my daughter was born, from a house that barely survived Hurricane Katrina, from a house where I had the most incredible neighbors, from a house that is a little crooked and in the country, from a house that I love more than any other, from a house where I got my first dog and where many, many memories will be made.

I am from the white dutch clover beds desperately searching for an elusive 4 leaf clover, the dandelions with their puffs blowing my wishes into the wind, the honeysuckle growing all over the neighbor’s fence where we would stand there and suck the nectar from hundreds of flowers, the onion weeds that grew everywhere and smelled so sweet that I just had to pick a bunch and present them to my mother with all the love I had in my little heart. I am from the gumball trees that caused me to make my first trip to the ER after slipping and falling on one while playing in Amy Wooten’s backyard, from the ditch that ran behind the houses in the neighborhood where we would catch minnows, frogs, crawfish and the occasional snake or turtle.

I am from crackers at Christmas, from walking on the dining room chairs at Christmas dinner before everyone sat down and eating an olive every time we passed the relish tray, from eating Twinkies with my Paw-Paw, from eating Werther’s candy at my other Paw-Paw’s house and from going away for the weekend for Mother’s day.

I am from stubbornness that runs in our family, from not listening to anyone when they’re talking, from the “I’m always right” mentality, from the generosity of pocketbooks and time, from the always there for you no matter what family, from the creative and funny mother.

I am from mom, Mee-Maw, Frissy, Candy, Sonny, Paw-Paw, Maw-Maw and Pete.
I am from the we always talk over one another family and from the no one wants to do anything until it’s almost too late family. I am from the “I’ll drop what I’m doing to help you in a crisis” and from the “I love you” family.

From the “always wear clean underwear” and “Tootiebug, Tupeliten and Turkey Turd” as terms of endearment family.

I am from the family that claims to be religious of a sort but never goes to church. I am from a family that doesn’t understand my hesitation to get involved in an organized religion. I am from a family that even though they don’t understand my hesitation, the don’t bother me about it.

I'm from Jackson, MS and am a Heinz 57. I am English, Norwegian and a bunch of other stuff. I am fried green tomatoes, catfish and butterscotch pie. None of which represent anything other than my Southern heritage.

I am me.

Later,

Mama Dawg

P.S. I stole this from Jaden Paige over at Bendy Ruggles.