seriously?!

all of the world's problems can be 

solved over a plate of chicken fingers :)

Before I say what I really want to say, please know this: I am listening to my "Best of the 80's" CD as we speak, so I'm in a fabulous mood  :)

Today I had a semi-irritating conversation with a Northerner that frustrated the stew out of me (I'm sure I'll have to explain that phrase to the roomie as soon as she reads this. Ha!). I don't want to go into too many details but here's the gist: for someone who didn't want to be judged, they sure dished out a lot of it! And it got me thinking....

In coming here, I was prepared to hear comments that I wasn't as intelligent because I speak more slowly or that I have a funny accent. I was even prepared to (politely) amend any stereotypical misconceptions that people may have about where I'm from. But I was not, in any way, prepared to feel like the place that I call home, the place where my heart is--the South--is too traditional and close-minded for anyone to actually feel comfortable living there. Apparently, we all run around hitting people over the heads with Bibles, only showering once a week and supporting segregation. Oh, and we condemn people to hell every hour, on the hour.

I mean, seriously? We've moved on, but there are really still people stuck thinking that we think this way?!?! It's 2010, for pete's sake!

Obviously (and thankfully), that couldn't be further from the truth. I realize that some of our traditions + sayings are odd, but that's just what gives us character. The core of today's South (minus the few exceptions that I'm sure exist) is about hospitality, which requires an open mind and love. I emphasize "today" because evidently some people only know about the South from what they learned in the fourth grade during civil rights month.

I'm not naive enough to believe that everyone's gonna get along and kumbaya, but the premise of this person's argument was that because they were different, they weren't willing to experience a place that they deemed "close-minded"--when in actuality, they had become the embodiment of that word. They are afraid that people will make assumptions about and criticize them, so they went ahead and did that to me (and my home), instead.

I shared my frustration with Jocelyn afterward and we had a beautiful conversation (over chicken fingers, how poetic) about the wonderful differences within our own families. And how it is too easy to pass judgement on someone else when you yourself have a huge piece of wood sticking out of your own eye. Of course, I'm not perfect and I know I make snap-judgements, too--but in my heart of hearts, I could never sincerely believe that I was better than someone. For any reason. It is my goal each day to whole-heartedly encourage others and make them smile.

Luckily, this is the first semi-bad encounter that I've had...and it really wasn't even that bad! It was like a 1.5 on the Richter scale. I know there are others everyday who are condemned because they don't look "right," act "right," date the "right" people, believe the "right" things and that my experience doesn't even qualify me to be disgruntled compared to how they have been ridiculed. Have we learned nothing from Michael Jackson's "Black or White" video?!

Conclusion: Don't be worried about me, I'm fine :) Unluckily for the offender, I just got to vent to the entire world!! Ha! And if you are holding on to inane, archaic or unfair ideas, let them go. It's so much easier to love than to judge...plus, ya get bonus points for it in Heaven...

...ironic? Yes. Funny? Definitely!

say cheese, y'all,
katy

PS -- PLEASE DO NOT assume that everyone up here thinks that way and, therefore, go on and judge them as a whole. That would totally defeat the purpose of this post!! Gross.