Domestic Psychology

my Tennessee

// February 11th, 2010 // 9 Comments » // TN, people, politics

When I expressed my disappointment at the behavior of Smart Girl Media, my DC brother quipped that I live in the “heart of the heart of it.” That makes me sad.

My Tennessee is mountains, valleys, rivers and forests. It is beautiful and filled with good people. The Tennessee that I know and I love doesn’t sort everyone by red shirts and blue shirts. My Tennessee realizes that everyone is connected and usually by family. My TN is composed of people who care about their neighbors, near and far. My TN is embarrassed by the undercurrent of racism and doesn’t tolerate it being out in the open. My TN has always looked upon college education as fancy, but expects children to graduate from high school and do their best. My TN doesn’t glorify ignorance and discourage small children from learning from anyone in the wrong color shirt. My TN church ladies are pure souls who quietly and without fanfare, lift the downtrodden. They are not the self-righteous wannabe church celebrities who pat themselves on the back as they kick the hungry or homeless. My TN is composed of politicians whose goal to remain in office is sought by helping keep economies alive and the poorest employed. It is not represented by elected officials who will sacrifice the needs of the people in order to block any accomplishments by the people in the wrong color shirt.

I love Tennessee and the people who live here. If the heart of TN has turned angry, I want to heal it. We are better than this. So much better that I don’t want to accept this ugliness as the heart of TN. I prefer to think of it as the gluteus maximus of our state. You know, the part that needs to shape up.

Newscoma goes to Memphis

// January 19th, 2010 // No Comments » // TN, blogging, politics

One of my favorite people, Newscoma, is spending some time studying Memphis politics and the colorful politicians who play the game. Her words make me giggle as I nod my head in agreement.

“What I’m finding in Memphis, because I’m doing the same thing here I do at home and that’s just talk to people that I don’t know, yes, there is a level of polite but I’m finding that Memphians also will take their bullshitometer out and hit you in the head with it if they think it is necessary. I think Nashville, in some ways, uses their polite “voices” more than Memphians do. And Hoots, well that’s a whole other can of Spam but Memphis folks tend to just call it when they see it.

And they do it with a grin.”

Read the whole thing and know that I consider Memphis my home.

Brrr.

// January 9th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // TN, flickr, weather

keep moving forward

// January 1st, 2010 // No Comments » // TN, flickr

step off the paved path

// September 6th, 2009 // No Comments » // TN, me

“My father considered a walk among the mountains as the equivalent of churchgoing.” Aldous Huxley

I am not amused by this particular silly season. I stomp around the house grumbling about news, politics and people. I am acutely aware of the weeks that have passed without time alone with my best friend. I allow others to hurt my feelings and make me cry like . . . a girl. I shouldn’t feel this weary. It has only been a few days since my day in the mountains. I have mentioned my love for mountains numerous times on this blog. The mountains have never failed me. I feel recharged and unburdened after a trip to the mountains. I should still be high on the inner peace that the mountains offer to visitors.

Staring at the rain, I realized that although I spent the day at Newfound Gap, I never left the pavement. I saw, but did not touch. I failed to step on to the soil, to touch the tender petals and to sit on a rock that is older than time. In my own defense, I felt like the National Park employees were transformed from their usual ‘get out there and enjoy nature’ personalities into yardstick wielding nuns. “You can’t stand here.” The day was great, but it was a trip to the mountains that was unlike any other. The next time we venture into the Smokies, I think I’d like a few dozen less politicians and their security requirements . That trip needs to be soon. Maybe then, I’ll be able to laugh at the silly season.

Dear Secretary Salazar,

// September 3rd, 2009 // 2 Comments » // TN, politics

Thank you for attending The Great Smoky Mountains National Park Rededication Event on September 2, 2009. You were very gracious while multiple speakers explained why our mountains are better than Colorado’s mountains. We didn’t mean it disrespectfully. We are just extremely proud of our mountains. More than proud, we are very protective of them. Many of us see a lot of similarities between the current administration and FDR’s administration and that makes us hopeful that, for at least a little while longer, our National Parks will be safe from those who wish to privatize them.

When you pronounced azaleas, ahz-ah-lay, there were quite a few giggles in the audience. Sorry about that. We know our pronunciations are sometimes awkward. I’m sure that I wasn’t the only one who never considered pronouncing it any way other than ah-zayl-yuh. I hope you understand that we were laughing at ourselves as much as the way the word looks to non-southerners. I do hope, with all sincerity, that the next time you are visiting any of the Southern states, you ask to see an azalea. They are truly beautiful and one of the many reasons why your job is so important. I think you can justify taking a few minutes out of your busy schedule to “stop and smell the azaleas” as a part of your job duties. As job duties go, it probably ranks way above hearing political speeches and just below meeting Dolly Parton.

Thank you for all that you do,
Cathy

Smoky Mountains 75th Anniversary

// September 2nd, 2009 // No Comments » // TN, flickr

no farmers here

// August 14th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // TN, people

As my tour of Knox County high schools took me through all kinds of rural East TN, I inevitably asked the principal guiding my tour about the “farms” that surrounded several of the schools. Some of them looked confused and flatly said that there were no farms. Others would snicker at my city-fied reaction to the country and tell me that I wasn’t seeing farms. Finally, at South-Doyle, the school surrounded by a patchwork of large tracts of land, I smacked myself on the forehead as I realized that where I saw farms, everyone else saw the ghosts of farms. Those large tracts of land that have been in families for generations USED to be farms. Now, they are constant reminders of a way of life that has vanished. Those principals that seemed matter-of-fact and those that seemed amused were really trying to say so much more. I just wasn’t listening closely enough.

we need disclaimers

// May 27th, 2009 // No Comments » // TN, blogging, politics

Since our state legislators’ reaction to news is to pass measures of support on the very least effectual issues, I propose all Tennessee bloggers, letter writers and columnists add some standard disclaimers at the bottom of their work. How about:

*The appropriate response to this information is not time and expense creating a measure of support. Please take actions that will actually improve the quality of life for people instead.

It just needs a symbol to use as a replacement for the entire sentence since our legislators just skim the news instead of researching it. For example, the only thing they needed to do in this particular case was to help a family gain citizenship. I think our legislators should have to pay for one of the teachers who fell under the budget axe this year to supervise the legislators’ behavior. If a teacher can keep middle school students focused on their work, they can certainly handle a bunch of elected officials who have been reduced to adolescent behavior. “Mr. Representative, You stop fidgeting and pay attention to the project that the rest of the group is discussing. Ms. Representative, don’t make me call your constituents.”

Imagine 2 hours of this

// May 1st, 2009 // 1 Comment » // TN, aspergers, teenagers, travel, video