I want my "Georgia on My Mind" Car Tag back!

Melodies bring memories
That linger in my heart
Make me think of Georgia
Why did we ever part?
Some sweet day when blossoms fall
And all the world's a song
I'll go back to Georgia
'Cause that's where I belong.
Georgia, Georgia, the whole day through
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind.
Georgia, Georgia, a song of you
Comes as sweet and clear as moonlight through the pines.
Other arms reach out to me
Other eyes smile tenderly
Still in peaceful dreams I see
The road leads back to you.
Georgia, Georgia, no peace I find
Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind.

Music by Hoagy Carmichael and lyrics by Stuart Gorrell
Immortalized by the Great Ray Charles


Summertime is upon us, and while I was planning to be somewhere on I-10 in Louisiana by this time, there's still no place like home for a long holiday weekend. Hopefully I will get a chance to visit some family down in Florida before it's all said and done, but I'm just content in sitting around letting the day take me where it wants me to go.

There are actually only 2 places I would want to be on the night of the 4th - in a highrise along the river in Manhattan, or in Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta. By far some of the best fireworks shows I've ever seen, and since July 1 marks the day for the new state laws to take effect, Downtown Atlanta is probably the only place you will legally get to see any fireworks get airborne.

Here are 34 ways to know if you're truly from Georgia:

1. You can properly pronounce Chickamauga, DeKalb, Dahlonega, Smyrna, Buena Vista, Valdosta, Okefenokee, and La Fayette.

P.S.. Atlanta = ADD-LANNA not AT-LANT-A.

2. You think people who complain about the heat in their states are sissies.

3. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard and look for a funnel.

4. You know that the true value of a parking space is not determined by the distance to the door, but by the availability of shade.

5. Stores don't have bags or shopping carts, they have sacks and buggies.

6. You've seen people wear bib overalls at weddings and funerals.

7. You think everyone from a Yankee-state has an accent.

8. You measure distance in minutes.

9. You go to the lake because you think it is like going to the ocean.

10. You listen to the weather forecast before picking out an outfit.

11. You know cowpies are not made of beef.

12. Someone you know has used a football schedule to plan their wedding date.

13. You know someone who has a belt buckle bigger than your fist.

14. Almost everyone you know is either Baptist or Methodist.

15. A Mercedes Benz isn't a status symbol. A Chevy Silverado Extended Bed Crew Cab is.

16. You know everything goes better with Ranch dressing.

17. You learned how to shoot a gun before you learned how to multiply.

18. You actually get these jokes and are "fixin'" to send them to your friends.

19. On one side of the road there's Wal-Mart and on the other is a cotton field.

20. The directions to your house include "turn off the paved road."

21. "Ya'll" is a word.

22. Fried chicken is a major part of your diet

23. Krispy Kreme donuts are the only kind of donuts you eat.

24. You call it a cold Christmas if you don't break out in a sweat in your new sweater.

25. Your whole town completely shuts down for 1 inch of snow or just the threat of snow.

26. People actually grow, eat and like okra!

27. You know the difference between a hillbilly, a redneck, and a Southerner.

28. Your dog and your wallet are both on chains.

29. Panama City Beach, Florida is a big deal.

30. You understand that at least once a year your car will turn yellow with pollen.

31. You know at least one Bubba, and maybe a few guys named Bo.

32. You say "tuna fish sandwich."

33. You use "Sir" and "Ma'am" if there's a remote possibility that person you're talking to is least 30 minutes older than you are.

And finally...

34. You are 100% Georgian if you have ever had this conversation:

"You wanna coke?"

"Yeah."

"What kind?"

"Dr Pepper."

---

Anyway, hope everyone has a good weekend... and a prayer goes out to my Texas counselor and to my neighbors that lost their 6 and 7 year old cousins in a car accident on their way to summer camp this week. Everyone please be careful out in those streets! In closing, here is probably one song that can almost make me cry on demand...

It all comes back to what?

Every man has a place, in his heart there’s a space,
And the world cant erase his fantasies
Take a ride in the sky, on our ship fantasii
All your dreams will come true, right away

And we will live together, until the twelfth of never
Our voices will ring forever, as one

Every thought is a dream, rushing by in a stream,
Bringing life to our kingdom of doing
Take a ride in the sky, on our ship fantasii
All your dreams will come true, miles away

Our voices will ring together until the twelfth of never,
We all, will live forever, as one

Come see victory, in the land called fantasy
Loving life, a new decree,
Bring your mind to everlasting liberty

Our minds will explore together, old worlds, we conquer, forever
We then, will expand love together, as one

Come to see, victory in a land called fantasy,
Loving life, for you and me, to behold, to your soul is ecstasy
You will find, other kind, that has been in search for you,
Many lives has brought you to
Recognize its your life, now in review
And as you stay for the play, fantasy, has in store for you,
A glowing light will see you through

Its your day, shining day, all your dreams come true
As you glide, in your stride with the wind, as you fly away
Give a smile, from your lips, and say
I am free, yes I’m free, now I’m on my way

- “Fantasy”, by Earth Wind & Fire

I have to work in the morning to get some things done… and I was about to go to sleep. Being the true IT geek that I am, I had to check my email one last time before hopping on what I dare call a futon. Had a new comment about one of my entries… cool! Let me login and approve it – a few clicks later, I’m looking at some other comments that were left about other posts… one of which from an ex that lives in a state to the north. When she gained her ex-status with me, she also earned status on my ignore list because we simply could not talk for more than five minutes without getting into a shouting match. I’m sorry that it comes off as being crude, but when I don’t have my harmonious balance, I will cut throats to get it back. Listen to me now and believe me later. I refuse to sit up and rehash an argument that’s now moot since we aren’t dating anymore. It’s just plain silly.

My point in bringing this up is I decided to see if old girl had been doing any writing of her own… 8 different blogs?

Are you serious?

Perhaps I could be totally self-absorbed and perhaps I need to have the lyrics to Carly Simon’s “You’re so Vain” up at the top instead – but some of this stuff was DEFINITELY about me.

I would like to reference “It all comes back”, which may or may not be found at http://itallcomesback.blogspot.com/ depending on if she’s still reading my posts or not. For your convenience, I have placed the text in this blog, along with some of my thoughts:

“I have given you more time than I should have already. But I shall give you this one last bit, Through your dishonesty with me and yourself , you caused a great deal of pain. Your dishonesty with me cost me time and heartache, which eventually did come to pass with great results. Your dishonesty with yourself cost you a great friendship, and has cost you relationships and will continue to cost you until you own up to yourself.”

Hmmm… was I dishonest? In hide sight, I think that I was. Prior to our “relationship”, our friendship consisted of her telling me how wonderful I was and how attractive I was, and how absolutely “smitten” she was with me. Did I have the same adoration of her that she had of me? No I didn’t. Was she cute? Absolutely. Was she intelligent? Hell yeah. Was I smitten? Not quite – but I was willing to see where things went and hopefully one day I would share that same feeling.

“I do believe that the dishonesty you used in dealing with me has brought you to the place you find yourself in today. Lonely, alone; a pitiful mess. When you do wrong, especially against those of pure heart, it all comes back. I would love to gloat in your greif and sail joyfully down the river of your tears, but life and love have taught me that it all comes back. I acted without dishonesty and mal intent, and for that I have been greatly rewarded. For you I feel no anger, only pity.”

For this, I also reference my previous post – in particular the part about worrying about keeping up with your friends in terms of car, house, etc. I myself was caught up in thinking about what my friends had and should I marry this woman where I would be financially. During our friendship, she expressed a desire to go to medical school, and wanting to do this and wanting to do that, all of which I thought were great things. Thinking selfishly of course, how nice would it have been with a MD for a wife? (*imitates Damon Wayans* mo money, mo money, MO MONEY!). Thinking about marriage as a financial transaction? Guilty as charged. Dishonest? No worse than reeling me in under those auspices only to tell me that you don't want to do medical school anymore and that I should be making plenty of money soon enough... now who's being dishonest?

“I would love to say, " I told you so". Because on that August afternoon , when you let me lay in tears on your bedroom floor and stepped over me as if I were filth I knew then that your soul was hollow; and tainted. I told you then that your hollow soul would pave the road for your weary heart. You turned to me in disbelief. Yet here and now , after time has passed and your life has become what I told you it would be.”

The way our friendship turned into a relationship was dishonest in itself. My want-to-keep-everything-harmonious-butt accepted the status change from friends to more-than-friends simply to keep the peace. The girl was a hothead. One second, nice, happy, even giddy. The next, watch out for the fire-breathing dragon! Our relationship was one created and consummated by her, I just didn’t have the heart to hurt her feelings that I wasn’t ready to go that route yet. A hollow soul? A soul without a backbone when it came to her is more accurate. Once I asserted myself that “August afternoon” and decided not to crumble under those tears that I fell for once before must have truly been a shock to you. Your “hollow soul” no longer was filled with your agenda. No longer agreeing to just about anything you said including your decision to not pursue medical school anymore – if indeed you wanted to do that at all… hmmm, didn’t Aretha say, “Who’s zoomin who?”

“I might be crazy, I might be the wrong one, but I a seldom wrong.
I wish you peace, I wish you power, I wish you hope.
I don't wish to rejoin lives with you, as I am now complete.
However, to borrow from words of Miss Cealie "Until you do right by me, everything you do is gonna crumble and fail" I wish you no harm as " Everything you done to me, has already been done to you" because it all comes back.”

It can be a dangerous thing to use someone else’s words to express what you’re trying to get across, but it’s also no point in reinventing the wheel. I’m going to borrow from the Piano Man once again as I have so many times in the past…

“You may be right
I may be crazy
But it just might be a lunatic you're looking for
Turn out the light
Don't try to save me
You may be wrong for all I know
But you may be right”

To reference my previous post once again, I realize my situation, and the decisions I made to get to that situation. Will I harp on it and feel sorry for myself? Absolutely not. Provided I’ve learned from the mistakes I made with you and the others that came before and after you, everything I do ain’t gon’ crumble and fall, Miss Celie… I’s happy with where I am and confident in where I’m going, and I know the difference between being real and what’s fantasy.

What has your yoke done for you lately?

He came from somewhere back in her long ago
The sentimental fool don't see
Tryin' hard to recreate
What had yet to be created once in her life

She musters a smile
For his nostalgic tale
Never coming near what he wanted to say
Only to realize
It never really was

She had a place in his life
He never made her think twice
As he rises to her apology
Anybody else would surely know
He's watching her go

But what a fool believes he sees
No wise man has the power to reason away
What seems to be
Is always better than nothing
And nothing at all keeps sending him...

Somewhere back in her long ago
Where he can still believe there's a place in her life
Someday, somewhere, she will return

She had a place in his life
He never made her think twice
As he rises to her apology
Anybody else would surely know
He's watching her go

But what a fool believes he sees
No wise man has the power to reason away
What seems to be
Is always better than nothing
There's nothing at all
But what a fool believes he sees...

"What a Fool Believes" - The Doobie Brothers

I find myself thinking about my last post especially after a conversation that I had with a good friend of mine at my house over the weekend. I don't think it's a secret that I have plenty of single, attractive, female friends. I've never been one to get into their business either unless previously invited. What my friend and I couldn't understand (and still don't for that matter) is why so many of these beautiful, talented, successful women are still single?

Let me also add this - the night before the get-together at my house, I was preparing food and listening to an Anthony Hamilton concert... during one of the interludes, he was talking about how people in relationships let outsiders exert their influence on them. He had one comment that people like to tell people in a relationship that hit home - "Ya'll aren't evenly yoked."

That statement hits home with me because in my opinion the concept of "evenly yoked” has been taken out of its original context and "interpreted" without thinking about the implications of that interpretation (try repeating that 3 times). If you are evenly yoked in all things - spiritually, financially, etc. then what can you learn from that other person? What can that other person learn from you? If you're not learning, then how do you grow?

Ladies, if that man doesn't make as much money as you, is he less of a man? Just because he is sweaty from working outside all day, does that negate his work ethic and dedication to something? The concept of everyone being evenly yoked has made us all think that we need to find a counterpart of the opposite sex to live our lives with. Here's a newsflash: IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE THAT. How many lawyers do you see married to lawyers? How many doctors do you see married to doctors? Not that many. On paper, they may be even yoked, so why don't all doctors and lawyers marry other doctors and lawyers? Why don't all waiters marry waitresses? If everyone is evenly yoked, then we might as well adopt the caste system that countries like India are so fond of, and that we as Americans allegedly dispise.

What we are doing is hiding behind “evenly yoked” because we are afraid to actually put in some work for a common goal. We are so worried about keeping up with our friends in terms of car, house, etc. that we're too scared to be starting behind them when we join material assets and salaries. Worried about appearances and how it will look if you go to church without your significant other. Worried about telling your girlfriends that your man doesn’t work for a Fortune 500 company and what they are going to think. Do they have your best interests at heart, or do they have what they THINK is your best interests at heart? Only you know what’s right for you, and letting your friends, family, pastor, etc. unduly influence you with their yoke-o-meter will land you with what they WANT you to have, not what you NEED. If material and financial gain are your purposes for getting married, then you can stop reading now if you haven't already.

I’m not telling everyone to just give up on your aspirations and expectations in a mate, but rather be a little more imaginative. If you’re on the train, and some sweaty construction worker sits next to you, don’t get up worried that his smell will rub off on your dry-clean only clothes – you never know when the powers that be up above have put someone in your presence that could be Prince Charming or Cinderella… if anything, you might find someone that can come and install that ceiling fan for a great price if you talk to them the right way. The money you save there could far outweigh the cost of going to the dry cleaners.

To close things out, I have a thought for you all to ponder, plus a video of The Doobie Brothers performing “What a Fool Believes” live… I thought that the song was appropriate because a lot of us are acting foolishly and need to start listening to our hearts instead of our constituents before we all end up living alone with a pet cat.

“The truth is that there is no better time to be happy than right now.
If not, then when?
Your life will always be full of challenges. It is better to admit as much and to decide to be happy in spite of it all.

For the longest time it seemed that life was about to start. Real life.
But there was always some obstacle along the way, an ordeal to get through, some work to be finished, some time to be given, a bill to be paid. Then life would start.
I finally came to understand that those obstacles were life.

That point of view helped me see that there isn’t any road to happiness.
Happiness IS the road.

So, enjoy every moment.
Stop waiting for school to end, for a return to school, to lose ten pounds, to gain ten pounds, for work to begin, to get married, for Friday evening, for Sunday morning, waiting for a new car, for your mortgage to be paid off, for Spring, for Summer, for Fall, for Winter, for the 1st of the 15th of the month, for your song to be played on the radio, to die, to be reborn…
before deciding to be HAPPY.

Happiness is a voyage, not a destination. There is no better time to be happy than…

NOW!

Live and enjoy the moment.”

-Author Unknown

If you can’t be happy with your current situation, why would anyone else want to be bothered with you? Take a second and think about that instead of worrying about being “evenly yoked.”