Lately I've had a number of conversations center around my home state.
Last night I did my usual thing -- rode my bike downtown to join a few hundred other wildcards in the throngs of the Thursday Night Social Ride. A stranger struck up a conversation and asked me where I grew up. It turned into a guessing game.
"Are you from California?"
"Nope -- think Deep South."
"Florida."
"No, but the state I came from does have beautiful beaches."
"Er...South Carolina?"
"And my hometown is known for NASA and defense contracting."
"Georgia? Louisiana? Mississippi?"
"Roll Tide!"
It still didn't click that I'm from Alabama, but it turns out not everyone follows SEC football.
Just last week, My CEO and I got to talking about how people just don't give Alabama enough credit. Not all of us Alabamians are toothless, incessantly drunk NASCAR fans, and even those who are might night be the nimrods they are made out to be. In fact, the city in which I was born, Huntsville, otherwise known as the "Rocket City", hosts a plethora of rocket scientists, bio-tech researchers, and other engineering types (at one time this included both of my parents. .
I have definitely heard my fair share of negative stigmas about the Heart of Dixie, which seem to be perpetuated by stereotypical representations that reflect a minority who exist in every state. Political controversies and historical injustices aren't to be ignored, but they shouldn't lay claim to Alabama's entire reputation -- nor should the notion that Alabamians are idiots. I can say firsthand that I received an awesome education in Alabama public schools and benefited from good ol' Southern values.
Southern charm should not be mistaken for ignorance, and I wouldn't give it up for the abrasive cultures I've experienced elsewhere. Plus, pecan pie and sweet tea aren't a half-bad combination.
The older I get, the more I appreciate my Alabama roots.
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