Southern Belle or Mountain Mama
Southern to the core—that’s the way I have always thought of myself. After all, I was born in Jackson Mississippi, the heart of Dixie and was raised with all of the Southern traditions. As a charm school graduate I learned how to walk and talk, put on make up, fix my hair and paint my nails. I frequently use words like “ya’ll” and “fixin” and am proud of it. I love my Southern roots and would not trade my heritage for anything.
After a childhood in Mississippi, most of my adult life was spent in Texas which was a different form of Southern, but still entrenched in the friendliness and down-to-earth ways that had been so engrained in me. Texas taught me new and different things to love such as Friday night lights with its football rivalries and everything being “big” from hair to houses. Texans are the real deal and you’ve got to love them as flamboyant as they might be, because their hearts are huge and overflow with kindness.
Even though I have been gone from the South for over 9 years people still stop and ask, “Where are you from?” I think it might be due to the accent, but I still like to tease them by answering “Colorado”. During the early years in Colorado, I remained loyal to my roots and would always dress up and put on make up before leaving the house. And of course, I drove everywhere, because that is just what Southerners do.
But over the years, a few things have changed. I now walk…outside, even to the store or to someone’s house. I also hike and bike. But just saying that does not tell the whole story. I can now sweat (okay…I said it…I know it is not lady-like, and I might not even enjoy it, but I can do it). I can also get bruises and cuts and scrapes on my arms and legs even though it is not something a beauty queen would ever do. And here is the kicker; I can now say I eat dirt, and fluffy things from the trees and even some protein in the form of bugs. It might not be intentional, but while huffing and puffing up and down the hills, those things simply end up in my mouth. But just to show you that I have not given up all of the training from days gone by, some of the bugs did get caught in my lipstick before entering my mouth...notice I said that I had on lipstick. And so I must ask you, would a Mountain Mama wear lipstick on a bike ride? You better believe it, a Southern Mountain Mama. I guess that’s who I have become!
2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
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