A String of Choices

"Life is a string of choices with no knot at either end."

I came up with the quote a long time ago when I was determined to get another tattoo that would reflect how I want to live my life. (Still no tattoo, but soon.) As I grew up and began to make decisions for myself, I can never remember a single time when my mom told me yes or no... instead, her advice was to "make good choices." Whether she knew it then or not....I'm sure she did.... she was teaching me perhaps the most valuable lesson that she ever could.

My greatest fear in life is failure....and while I am sure to fail at something almost every day, by God's grace, He gives me tomorrow so that I can fix the things that I failed today.That's where the "no knot at either end" comes into play. You see, many people my age make decisions in one of two ways. We either dive right in and hope for the best, or over analyze the opportunity until it passes us by. I'm not talking about spontaneity... perhaps the best decision I've ever made in my life was to take a weekend beach trip. That decision was made late on a Thursday afternoon, and had I thought about the logistics, money, and other details involved, I would have missed out on a life changing trip. When it comes down to it, I want to fall somewhere in the middle of "just go for it" and "let me think about it". Just like the "make your own necklace" kits everyone did in kindergarten, our choices are the beads and our life is the string. I don't want to be consumed with having the perfect pattern of red, white, red, black, red beads (or crimson for that matter), but i also don't want to be so careless that end up with only white beads.

So I guess my belated "resolution" this year is to find balance in the choices that I make. Anything worth having is worth waiting for, and anything worth doing is worth doing the right way. I thank God each night for the blessings in my life, but I think I will start to ask Him for direction and patience to make the right choices for myself and those that I love.

Roll Tide Always

What it means to me.

The new year is finally here, and with it comes many welcome changes for me. After reading a very special person's blog, I decided that I would share my experiences in 2012 with anyone and everyone willing to listen. While I can promise you that there will be no political stance taken in this blog, I do see the world through a pair of crimson colored glasses. Just like singing in the shower and drinking milk from the carton, I make no apologies about this! So here we go with the first post of 2012.... hold on tight.

What does it mean to be Southern? A question that some can answer in one word, while others, like myself, could go on for days. At first thought, the fat kid in me instantly thinks about my Mamaw's cornbread, Granny's banana pudding, and Mom's country fried steak. After that, any true Bama fan would go back to autumn days spent on the quad, the smell of bourbon in the air, and the sound of Rammer Jammer after the tide puts another W in the win column. It's everything about a country music song (most of them anyway), the dirt roads, the cowboy boots, the sundresses. All of these are southern things, but I'm not sure any of them make us southerners.

More than location or accents, being southern is a way of life that is learned from a very young age, and it is sad to think that it is a dying breed. It's not chewing tobacco, but it is holding open the door for a lady. It's not "daggum", but it is "yes sir" and "yes ma'am". It's respect for your parents, and the traditions that their parents taught them. It's looking someone in the eye and understanding that their word is as good as any legally binding contract. It's not the fishing trip with your grandad, but it's the stories he tells while you bait your hook. It's telling those same stories to your grandkids.

Now the only way this blog thing is going to be worth reading for anyone else is if you have something to add to it. I can name 100 more "southern things", but leave me a comment and let me know what I left out. I'm sure there are a few that I will have to throw back in here too.