Bein' Country

Today I decided to share some thoughts I have been having on the subject of bein' country. Since "discovering" blogs, I have been wandering around the "blogosphere" and reading so many wonderful blogs. And, if you read one, then you connect to more and more. It grows exponentially!

So.. I find myself learning through other blogs. I like the daily glimpses into others lives; their style of living, their creativity, their families and their philosophies.

Now I have been mulling this over for a few days; whether or not to share these thoughts. Since it is my blog I reckon I will.

Here's how it began: I was wandering; see above: I found a delightful blog that I read through and the author advised she was now a country gal like me. The part that bothered me I guess is that after reading through so many wonderful posts, I discovered one that made me think about my blog, my readers ( all two of you LOL ) and what bein' country is all about for me. And this is my opinion.

Bein' country is NOT about where you live; it is a mindset. I have lived in many types of places; but I always knew I was country. I clean up good to go to town and can speak ( and write ) proper English ( when I have to LOL). But I have The South in me real good! My Daddy always said don't act ugly, and I sure try not to. I write my blog primarily for me; I'm sure most do, and I hope others visit and enjoy themselves. There is a spirit of generosity in all the bloggers I have so far encountered; they all seem to want to share their lives and their knowledge with others.

Their creativity! What a treasure. WOO! These women that I visit are so creative and talented. This blogging thing gives many of us a real voice that might otherwise go unheard. I have "met" so many nice women on these blogs. I have learned so much, I have been inspired and have felt uplifted by so many of you. That is why I guess I felt the need to share this with you and maybe that other blogger will learn a little bit too.

She said she didn't like blogs with music; my answer ( after I thought about it ) is that I have a little ole' button on my laptop that instantly shuts off the speakers. Voila! No music; takes less than half a second. My take on the music is this; I have been able to listen to such a wide variety of music on your blogs; I love to share in what you listen to; it helps me get a feel for your personality and I have found new music that I may never have found any other way. So play that music; I love it. If you don't have music on your blog, that's okay too; it's your blog! I'll still read it anyway.

Point two; she said something in regard to spelling and proper English; I'm not an English teacher; I read your blogs for inspiration. Ihave been a fussbudget about spelling at times because I feel it is quickly becoming a lost art ( okay,watch Headline News; the ticker is always misspelling things; they are PROFESSIONALS for goodness sake! ) Our local news is horrific; they misspell everything; HOOSTON for Houston for example! But, here; in blogland I just don't care. Y'all can spell stuff however you like! I haven't had any trouble reading and understanding y'all, I read this for fun, not to be critical. I think you should write in your own voice, however that comes across to you. It's more interesting that way.

So how does ALL this tie in with being country; well y'all; when you ARE COUNTRY, you don't need to go around pointing out other folks mistakes; you work on cleaning up your own, Graciousness is a big part of bein' country. We have to find the good in others, and praise that. I know I'm guilty of bein' picky at times, but I'm still learning. Y'all out there in blog land are good teachers. I appreciate that. Glad I found ya'.

When you are country, it isn't about where you LIVE, it is what is in your heart and soul. Country folks are helpful, they have a spirit of generosity and kindness. They share openly with others. They have a spirituality that does not thrive on putting others down to make themselves feel superior. I always say that smart people don't need to announce they are smart. I live in the country, but more importantly, the country lives in me.

I thank you all, including the anonymous blogger I referred to here. She made me think in depth about what I do, and that is GOOD because without examination of ourselves, we cannot grow; if we don't grow ,we become stagnant and eventually die. So keep up the good work all of you, I'll be by to visit and chat, y'all stop by too.

I can't promise I won't make mistakes, but knowing y'all, you will help me learn from them in a kind fashion as many of you have already done thus far. Keep up the good work. And thanks to Two Barking Dogs for helping me when I began; otherwise I would never have known how to post so y'all could read it! She is a gem; go read her blog too!