by Papaw » Tue May 05, 2009 10:19 am
Guess its time for me to weigh in on this thread.
I was born in McMinnville, Tennessee (about 70 miles southeast of Nashville) Daddy was from Albany, Alabama, and Mother was born in McMinnville, too. Daddy's parents were from Mcminnville, also, but sometime moved to Alabama for a few years.. the reasoning has never been passed on, at least to me, and now no one around to ask why.
But Daddy, being a Church of God minister, moved us to this God forsaken land of Indiana, where I have resided most of my life in the Indianapolis area. With only dreams left to ever move back to Tennessee, and a wife from Kansas that wont move from Indiana. LOL,, guess i could just leave her here.
I still enjoy the trips back home (to McMinnville) and visiting with aunts and uncles, cousins, though their numbers are dwindling with each passing year. Through illegal immigration, drugs, crime rates, etc, Im not so sure moving back to McMinnville would be an idea for an older person, unless he is well armed cause we dang sure cant outrun em these days. Buying a few acres and a house out in the country, used to always be a dream of mine. but it seems those "loners" wind up being the ones that get beaten and robbed these days by the crack heads and dope addicts. I guess that was inevitable, with the influx of illegal immigrants, decline of moral values amongst kids these days, etc.
Of course now, Id have to hit the lottery to do any of those things Ive dreamed of doing.. so the dream changes to buying a mountain, building a log cabin at the top, and shoot down at anything that comes towards my place.. LOL No roads, so everything would have to be flown in by helicopter. ahh,, such a nice dream. lol.
okay,, in answer to the question at hand,, I am a Southerner, second, American First, and a Bluewater Sailor always.
I moved to Houston, Tx in 1982 for a couple years, with work.. Texans kept talking about Yankees coming down taking their jobs, etc,, and because I had moved from Indianapolis, always included me in their verbal abuse of Yankees.. until,, I told them... I was born in McMinnville, Tennesee, and if it wasnt for us Tennessee Volunteers, you Texans would be speaking Mexican. They decided right then and there that I was a Brother Texican at heart. LOL
Papaw
James M. Rigsby BT3
USS Decatur (DDG-31)
1970-1974 (1971-74 on board)
Fwd Fireroom/Oil King
My Country, May She Always Be In The Right.
Right or Wrong, My Country---Stephen Decatur