But, I am still Myrt and Jimmy's daughter. No matter how grown I get, some of my favorite comforts will always be:
- The Black Church: I particularly like the spirit and energy, the amen corner, sangers, and mother's row. There's nothing quite like a holy ghost filled Sunday morning.
- The Backyard Party: The loud laughter, the old school jams, the corner for those playing spades, bid whist, or dominoes. Oh yea, and that one little, little kid that will dance without fear in the center of the crowd.
- The Food: Please don't surprise me on the holiday's with that new fangled cranberry apple nut stuffing. The tree days of the year that I eat it I want real cornbread dressing, peach cobbler, and black-eyed peas. I will make the macaroni and cheese.
- The People: I love my elders (old black folks that will tell you just how it is), the church ladies, my sisters (the sisterhood) all of them even the colorful ones, a strong black brother, and you know I love the babies. That for me includes all young people up to about 25.
- My Family: They are a bunch of characters and I wouldn't change them for the world.
- The Beauty Shop: Many of my friends now go to the SALON. I get my hair done at beauty shop. I've tried those...well you know what I mean. Yes it can be loud with 10 conversations going on a the same time, TV on and radio going. There might be someone selling CD's, cookies or something, but as long as the little stove is HOT, I'm fine.
- The Music: My favorites go from the 60s and 70s stuff with Marvin, Gladys, Retha, Temptations, Stevie, Spinners, O'Jays, and the Whispers. Jeffrey Osborne and LTD. Okay, I better stop. I like ALL of it. But then there was that part of the 80s with Guy, DeBarge, Luther, alright you all get it. I love ALL of it! If you don't like Marvin Gaye's Gotta Give it Up something is wrong.
- The Movies: Do you remember all those Bill Cosby, Sidney Poitier, and that cutie pie Calvin Lockhart. You know Car Wash, Let's Do it Again...Okay well what about Sparkle and Lady Sings the Blues? The Whiz.
12 comments:
Don't forget the "big hat club" at church and the soul train line at the backyard party. LOL
Don't forget the "big hat club" at church and the soul train line at the backyard party. LOL
Now you know you are right. That gave me a big laugh! I forgot my sweet potato pie too.
OK. It's not the same but for us country bumpkin white folks, it was church 'sangins' where the altos dominated the show. As for soul train, I watched it and Solid Gold Dancers. Alas, I have NO abilities in that arena. For me and the kids, the best I can do is the 'cha-cha' line. They seem to enjoy it though. You already know I l-o-v-e black eyed peas and corn bread and greens and cabbage and all that stuff. And our back yard parties usually included a fiddle or banjo or mandolin. Alas, I had no abilities in that area either. I'm talentless.
I hope I can share with all my children my heritage and I truly hope I can help them learn and share and be part in their birth heritage. More than that, I hope I can help them feel comfortable within any/every group of which they are a part. That will mean expanding my horizons in order to help them understand and navigate in their world. It's a hard road to figure out some times.
Jan
May I add, that their world is MY world and vice versa. So my world is that of the gifted the disabled the Asian the African and I think (based on what I see in my daughter) the athletic/artsy and my son the music world and many other worlds. Oh what fun and interesting times my husband and I have in store for us.
Jan
Jan you know I love it.
VALERIE!!!!!!!!! Thank you for the trip back dowm memory lane.....don't forget the hog mals and chittlins.........now if you grew up in a black family there was no way to escape that awful smell while they are being cleaned and turned into hog head cheese......and don't forget the pickled pig feet........hmmmmm use to love them as a child.....
I remember when my Mom was sick she spent hours prepping her "chittlins" only to fall asleep while they were cooking. Needless to say they burned! I arrived home from college to the most awful smell! It lingered for weeks.
never smelled the chittlins burning before, but if the smell is anything like the raw and uncooked chittlings then I am happy to have never been so blessed to have them burn around me..........I also can never forget the hamhock........use it to season the collard greens and the bean.........What....You dont' know........my family is from the deep south.... LOL
Can never forget this one.........the crisco can of used cooked grease on the back of the stove........and the fat back...........pls. don't tell me I'm the only one that know a/b fat back, hamhocks,chittlins, and hog mals............... :)
Valerie has sparked lots of memories here
I see all I have to do is talk about food to get this group exciting. This was a lot of fun. Yes those stinky chittlins where I grew up they were called KYs (Kentucky oysters). Those big red and white buckets -- hated to see them coming.
You know I realize some things may be changing in our community, but I see nothing wrong with trying to preserve what is good and memorable about our culture.
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