MUSINGS

Blake Shelton:  Boys 'Round Here A friend of mine posted an article in regard to this video and poked fun at the idea that a Southern boy could promote positive race relations and kill off old misconceptions.  Now I'm not going to sit here and pretend that certain hate groups are not still alive and well down here, or that there are folks who still haven't "woken up"...but it's not as bad as most people would believe.  I'm excited about the current fad of country music and Southern rock, people are seeing that even a Redneck is simply a hard working individual loaded with family and community pride. There are several common ideas that float around in regard to Southerners and country folks that are quite off base.  I'd like to roll through a few and set the record a bit straighter. No. 1     All white Southerners are either descended from slave owners or are prejudiced against African-Americans. Bust:     Only the most wealthy families could

This one is for the Missus. Ever wonder when you've become "that woman"...?  You know the one, she owns Tarot cards or a hefty worn down Bible, and is able to lay down the "when I was younger and skinny" stories...  The spiritual lady, the devout lady, the one who understands who/what God is to her... Has seemingly done it all...Will look you in the eye and say, "you will understand later on"...or "you have some growing to do".... Have you ever left a conversation or a moment in time, sat in your car and thought, "was I this naive? Or is there really a generation gap? when did I become.... Her ..."  All the while learning, growing and conquering her own deamons.  She doesn't see herself as the one who needs to be giving advice or spouting lessons or wisdom...  She's the woman who is trying to conquer poison ivy and keep her relationship current and hot and alive...AND learn how to grow up.... I've spent time recent

Miranda Lambert and I have gotten to be pretty good friends the last few years.  Southern women are unique in the fact that we rarely tell someone what we really think of them.  It's just not polite.  Now we'll bless their hearts till we turn blue, but until we've been pushed into a corner there's a grace period of: "let's see how far this is actually going to go before I go completely white trash on'em".  Well ya'll, I was born white trash. Don't get your panties in a twist over the verbiage, white trash/redneck, it's sort of like calling someone in South Louisiana a Coonass.  An outsider can't call someone that, they didn't earn the right to use those words on a local.  I can call myself that because I know that my daddy worked as hard as he could for as long as he could, and my mom picked up that torch when he was physically unable.  This earned my little family a small plot of land, a single wide trailer and a myriad of tr