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ann ashtray · 08.26.2010, 02:18 AM

Walking around downtown Macon, esp. when alone/uninterrupted by too much traffic and/or company, is almost like traveling back in time. A brick street running alongside a nearby coffee shop might not be appreciated much by skateboarding youth, but it screams vulgar obscenities, as well as utter beauty, of yester-years, to anyone that cares to notice and dive head first into a little research. That particular street, you see, was laid brick by brick by slaves. A beautiful thing within itself? Hell no. But those sweaty, hard working African Americans of yesterday were doing far more than just building a road, they were building a history far more intense than anything they could have possibly realized at the time. Behind the scenes, these very men (and women), from here and elsewhere amongst this general region of the USA, were creating a music that would forever change absolutely everything. BLUES. Without them, no rock n roll, without rock n roll I don't even want to consider the person that I might be.

It's so easy for outsiders to degrade what it means to be from the south, with our tractors and funny accents...but, you see, this place, full of so many so called "ignorant folk", changed the entire world. I mean really...where would the WORLD be if not for Robert Johnson? Skip James? Elvis Presley? The Beatles? The Stones? Jimi? Led Zep? The Stooges? The Ramones? The Damned? The Wipers? Nirvana? I don't even want to begin to imagine where it might be...for that's a world I damned sure don't identify with. Even if some of the aforementioned artists weren't from this place, they damned sure were informed by it...even if not realizing it.

The street I live on consists of houses mostly built in the 1800's (the one right next door to me, currently a bed a breakfast, was built in 1842). The only thing about this street that has changed much since the 1800's is the road (it's no longer dirt), and perhaps the telephone poles/power lines. It's beautiful. Also on this street lies the location THE first all female college (currently, it's a oversized post office)..Wesleyan. Hows that for an ignorant south? Traveling down the same street, in the opposite direction, lies the intensely beautiful Rose Hill cemetery. The very place the Allman Brothers would jam before they ever recorded anything. Two of them are currently buried there. A certain grave stone at Rose Hill is marked with the name "Elizabeth Reed"...that's where the song title came from. A few streets over, maybe a ten minute walk away, lies the shot gun shack Little Richard is rumored to have grown up in. The Ig was def. taking notes from that guy (just listen to "Shake Appeal").

SO, yeah, some of us talk a little funny. Some of us are indeed viewed widely as lacking culture (when reality is these people have a culture, just one that happens to be UNIQUE to them as individuals). Some of us like guns (many of us hunt our own food, truly more beautiful that buying it at yr local grocer)...but whatever. I wonder just how many people are eating veggies that were grown by our farmers, and listening to music that beyond any doubt originated in this place? It's certainly a number I do not wish to count to, I know that much.

In other words, the south isn't a place to be ashamed of. There's NO PLACE else like it in the entire world. + yeah, I'll move out of this region...eventually...again...but I know I'll die here, + I find great comfort in that.

'Night,

-s.

08.26.2010, 02:18 AM	#1
ann ashtray expwy. to yr skull Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Macon, GA Posts: 2,299	Walking around downtown Macon, esp. when alone/uninterrupted by too much traffic and/or company, is almost like traveling back in time. A brick street running alongside a nearby coffee shop might not be appreciated much by skateboarding youth, but it screams vulgar obscenities, as well as utter beauty, of yester-years, to anyone that cares to notice and dive head first into a little research. That particular street, you see, was laid brick by brick by slaves. A beautiful thing within itself? Hell no. But those sweaty, hard working African Americans of yesterday were doing far more than just building a road, they were building a history far more intense than anything they could have possibly realized at the time. Behind the scenes, these very men (and women), from here and elsewhere amongst this general region of the USA, were creating a music that would forever change absolutely everything. BLUES. Without them, no rock n roll, without rock n roll I don't even want to consider the person that I might be. It's so easy for outsiders to degrade what it means to be from the south, with our tractors and funny accents...but, you see, this place, full of so many so called "ignorant folk", changed the entire world. I mean really...where would the WORLD be if not for Robert Johnson? Skip James? Elvis Presley? The Beatles? The Stones? Jimi? Led Zep? The Stooges? The Ramones? The Damned? The Wipers? Nirvana? I don't even want to begin to imagine where it might be...for that's a world I damned sure don't identify with. Even if some of the aforementioned artists weren't from this place, they damned sure were informed by it...even if not realizing it. The street I live on consists of houses mostly built in the 1800's (the one right next door to me, currently a bed a breakfast, was built in 1842). The only thing about this street that has changed much since the 1800's is the road (it's no longer dirt), and perhaps the telephone poles/power lines. It's beautiful. Also on this street lies the location THE first all female college (currently, it's a oversized post office)..Wesleyan. Hows that for an ignorant south? Traveling down the same street, in the opposite direction, lies the intensely beautiful Rose Hill cemetery. The very place the Allman Brothers would jam before they ever recorded anything. Two of them are currently buried there. A certain grave stone at Rose Hill is marked with the name "Elizabeth Reed"...that's where the song title came from. A few streets over, maybe a ten minute walk away, lies the shot gun shack Little Richard is rumored to have grown up in. The Ig was def. taking notes from that guy (just listen to "Shake Appeal"). SO, yeah, some of us talk a little funny. Some of us are indeed viewed widely as lacking culture (when reality is these people have a culture, just one that happens to be UNIQUE to them as individuals). Some of us like guns (many of us hunt our own food, truly more beautiful that buying it at yr local grocer)...but whatever. I wonder just how many people are eating veggies that were grown by our farmers, and listening to music that beyond any doubt originated in this place? It's certainly a number I do not wish to count to, I know that much. In other words, the south isn't a place to be ashamed of. There's NO PLACE else like it in the entire world. + yeah, I'll move out of this region...eventually...again...but I know I'll die here, + I find great comfort in that. 'Night, -s. __________________ Team Thurston!
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