Where I'm from

"Oh no I could never visit South Carolina..." - My barber to me after I told him I was from South Cack.

The Honest Man is from South Carolina. West Columbia, South Carolina to be exact. I wasn't born there but I might as well have been because I spent the majority of my life there. The state is known for a few things: the Clemson Tigers-SC Gamecocks rivalry, Growing peaches, beautiful places to golf, and having the confederate flag fly over the state house. But recently, it's become "famous" for two reasons: Gov. Mark Sanford's affair and Sen. Joe Wilson's disrespect of President Obama. Those events have prompted a few folks to ask me if I was embarrassed, shamed, or something to that effect. And it had me thinking about other times in the past when people would start clowning or telling me "Oh I would never live in South Carolina"

I honestly don't get that comment about "Oh I would never live in South Carolina." Particularly when it comes from folks that live in other Southern states. For example, my wife, who's from Texas said after her first trip to SC that she couldn't live here. Too racist she said. How can you grow up in a state with the confederate flag she asked. I'm like compared to what? Oh you mean to a state that's had it own share of problems (see James Byrd ). Oh it gets better folks...

When I first met my barber we were talking about where we were from. I let him know I was from South Cack and he was like oh naw playa, can't live there. Too country, too racist. I'm like where you from. This fool goes Memphis. The same Memphis where Martin Luther King was shot. The same Memphis that's produced well spoken people like Eightball & MJG, Three 6 Mafia, and Young Buck. But my state is country and racist. Riiight....

I say all this for one reason. We all got issues. I don't care if you grew up in Idaho or Illinois, everybody comes from a state with a few skeletons in their closet. Ours just so happen to be on public display at the wrong time. Yea I'm not down with the confederate flag either but it's not like it bothered me to the point like "If I see the muthaphuckin flag one mo' cot damn time, I'm Audi 5000." No, I just ignored it, focused on bettering myself and taking care of bizness. Maybe you should do the same ;-).

Today's Lesson

Don't act like it's just me :-). Yea my state's got some issues but who doesn't. As my boy Gangsta D said "Get your weight up, not your hate up..." Now let's shake hands and go get some bo berry biscuits....