Not From Around Here

I took my mother to her doctor for a follow up visit this morning. While I waited for her, I had a very interesting conversation with a gentleman.

Just as they were taking my mother back this gentleman somewhere around my age, give or take a bunch of years sat down. It did not take long before he spoke. It seems that he entertains himself by listening to the way people speak and guessing where they are from. Immediately after telling me this, he said, “You’re not from around here are you?” I wish I had a photo of the part of his expression I could see above the mask when I told him I actually was from here. Born and raised-or reared if you prefer. Now, I have had this discussion before. I had a gentleman years ago argue with me that I could not possibly be from here. Of course this was mere weeks after my return from living in Calcasieu Parish,  Louisiana, in the shade of Lake Charles. After nearly two years of listening to those I came into contact with, I couldn’t help but pick up the sound. That however did not stop me from being from here.

After forty years though I’m sure that has disappeared. What has not though is the lessons I was taught growing up. Speak properly. There was no saying things such as cheer for chair and ain’t was not, I repeat not, a word. My now deceased husband used to accuse me of talking ‘uppity’. No, just speaking as I was taught dear.

Now, this gentleman this morning, who was not in anyway flirting as he made it clear that his wife knows he does this challenge, has not heard me talking after I have spent time with my dad. For some reason, spending time with him brings out my southern. I sound like a full blown old time shake and bake commercial.

I also want to look at this from another angle. Those who follow the Christian faith, we may be from here, but we are not a part of here. We are not home. We are traveling through this life from this place to our real home. We are set aside to be different. To be like, to live like Jesus the Christ. To see what is going on around us, but not take part. To plant seeds as we travel. Seeds of hope, of peace, of encouragement, of love. Especially of love. Being different does not make us better. In fact to be like Jesus, we should walk in humility. We should speak in kindness and act in compassion. We should see the needs of those around us and act in the ways necessary to meet those needs. There are going to be times when that being different causes the feelings of being left out, of not being accepted. Maybe that does happen. In the end though, when we reach the end of our journey, it isn’t the opinion of those we have met along the way that matter. It is hearing, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” that is what matters.

I am from here, but not, so the gentleman wasn’t completely wrong.

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