Many of you reading this blog will understand what this one is all about...
This past Friday I traveled about 40 miles North of Atlanta to visit my Mom and Aunt and Grandmother at my Great Uncle James' house in Cumming, Georgia. I had the best time sitting around their dining room table, snacking, talking, crying a little at old memories, and learning a lot about what their lives were like many years ago. There were four generations there at one point during the night, and I, with my journalistic tendencies, was closely just listening to the many conversations going on around me. There may have been just four generations there, but there were stories told about my relatives seven generations back. It was wonderful!
I began to ask questions to the eightysomethings sitting around me and I loved what I heard.
A few examples:
-My Grandmother's class ring was $14.00. Her brother, James, bought it for her with the money he earned pushing a wheelbarrow. Today, a class ring costs $320.00.
-"We need to go ahead and go so we can get back" - what does this mean exactly? Ask my Grandmother.
-"What in the Sam Hill are you doing?" - who is Sam Hill, you may ask? No one knows!
-"Hold it Newt, you're headin' for the pea patch" - this one just means you can't drive!
-"Hold it 'tween the ditches" - another reference to not knowing how to drive...
-"We didn't have much clothes, but what we did have was clean" - a direct quote from Uncle James.
And finally, just some Southern words to make you think:
-thingamajig
-doohickey
-shore 'nuff
-up yonder
-simon slick
-awright is the same thing as saying hello when you answer the phone
The night was interesting and fun to be around my family and I hope everyone has the chance to learn about the folks from our past who still have a lot to say!
3 comments:
I love hearing about old talk. What a great blog!
I would have never guessed you as one to sit around reminiscing of the horse and buggy days. I love your use of syntax as well as the no photo -that's a hard one to pull off. I'll bet that was great therapy as well for the benster. Did you look at your baby photos too? I love those!!!!
if you take the pics. off the blog, i swear to the heavens i will tell at least one story of a happening in the lebaron (bass and the boom in the back) please do not listen to the reasonings of warbucks and a cute little carhart wearer, continue to post. if baby joey wasn't so cute, i would say raise the white flag and succumb to peer pressure.
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