Sunday, November 29, 2015

Back home in Alabama, praise the Lord. Rained all the way back, but I was still grateful for having escaped Ohio.

"You can't go back home to your family, back home to your childhood ... back home to a young man's dreams of glory and of fame ... back home to places in the country, back home to the old forms and systems of things which once seemed everlasting but which are changing all the time – back home to the escapes of Time and Memory." -- Thomas Wolfe, in You Can't Go Home Again.
Did I mention that a number of Buckeyes who I encountered (although it would be more accurate to say -- who attempted to run into me) in addition to having particularly nasty and ill-mannered dispositions during this holiday for giving thanks, are accomplished kamikazes with all vehicles ranging from shopping carts to automobiles? Darn near killed me more than once, and gave me the finger as they passed. Sheesh. And to think I was raised among that tribe. I guess it was my fault for venturing out shopping on Thursday and "Black Friday." I was just asking for it.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Buckeyes? Hah!

You should come to Miami, FL. Watch people near kill each other before Halloween! In order to get more stuff to celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace!

Or no, better not. We need you alive.

Roger J said...

Mike,
Welcome back to the South. I lived in rural southern Ohio during part of the '80s, and I remember folks being kind and helpful. Those people were damn near being Southerners. Later, I had to move to Dayton, which was a different world. I guess the experience depends on which part of Ohio you happen to be in. And it may be that rural decline has caused an entire way of life to go to rack and ruin. The quiet farming town I once lived in has been in the news lately for a string of unsolved murders of young women, most of them working as hookers because of drug problems. Meantime, some of our politicos want to bring more "refugees" and "immigrants" rather than solve America's real problems.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry sir that you felt grateful to the escape Ohio, we are not all jerks. I hope you and yours had a blessed Thanksgiving, God bless you sir and I pray for your total healing.

Curmudgeon said...

As I used to be married to someone who was raised in Sylacauga, AL and had to spend many excruciating days there (and B'ham) visiting her relatives, I cannot agree with you. I'm a native Buckeye. I lived in the south for 6 years (Mississippi) and I'd rather have honest how they feel folks (like Buckeyes) rather than 2 faced southerners who smile to your face, shake your hand and try to stab you in the back with the other hand.

Personally I've nothing against anyone living where the want but I'm uncomfortable anywhere south of the Ohio river..

Go Bucks

Anonymous said...

Don't take it personally, Mike. But it's your fault for entering the world of psychos over the Thanksgiving weekend.
On Thanksgiving Thursday, I do my best to have all my shopping done before that day, to be respectful of other people's right to be home with THEIR families.
As for Black Friday, I DEFINITELY stay at home, and treat that day the same way the ancients did the night of the full moon, when lunatics and werewolves come out to attack.

B Woodman
III-per

Christian Patriot III said...

I've lived in Ohio for 15 years and in that time there has been a cultural shift, due to folks from other states moving to Ohio, as well as folks from other lands with no cultural fealty to speak of. It has certainly changed. There are still a lot of good friendly folk around, but I would wager the majority of them, pardon the apparent but not intended slight, Mike, have the sense to stay home on Black Friday. :-)

We travelled as well, mostly the rain slowed us down, traffic was very light with so many people in the malls and stores battling to the death over %50 discounts.

So very glad you made it home safely. I saw some boys with III patches the other day and asked them if they knew what it meant. They gave a vague "war is coming" sort of answer without really understanding what they were talking about. I recommended two movies from around the time of their birth: The Postman, and The Patriot.