Stuff That Doesn’t Matter

Lots of voices floating around these days. It seems like everybody has something to say. I’m here to say something different. I’m going to talk about the people and stuff that doesn’t matter. I’m here for stuff that doesn’t make the news, but makes the world go around.

Let’s talk about the folks in the holler that you never drive down. The eyes that watch you drive down the road from behind the curtain. The whispers on the porch that you can barely hear trying to figure out who’s kin you might be. Some people want them to be victims. Other people want them to be saints. They’re just people with problems like everybody else.

Let’s talk about the folks on the hill that you can see from the road. They have the nice houses. They don’t have to worry about the creek flooding like the folks in the holler. You might see them on the front porch watching the traffic. They might have the views that belong in magazines, but they still need your prayers sometimes. When they see you coming up the driveway, the coffee will be on. The preacher cookies will come out. They’ll slow down for you.

Let’s talk about all of those folks. The ones on Main Street with the nice houses. The ones on the backroads outside of town with the dogs on the porch. The ones who live in the trailer next to their mammas because they couldn’t imagine it any other way. The ones who pack their bags, lose their accents and never return. The ones that never leave the spot where they were born. Those with last names on the local funeral home. Those with the guts to cut roots and become nomads. Those who just want to be left alone to live and die as they see fit. Let’s talk about it all.

I’m not here because I’m an expert. I’m not here because of some political agenda. I’m not here to advocate or educate. I’m here so you’ll listen to the way they talk. I’m here because I love those people in the holler, and on the hill. I want to talk about what it means to be a part of those people, what those people mean to me, and what means something to them. Stick around. You just might learn something!