dear holly, first, i want to say, what a beautiful description of the area you were from and i don't doubt for a minute an accurate one. it's the thought of such a place that i always try to keep with me, just as you did in the convenience store and was able to make people take pause and think. i am from a suburban/urban area a short distance from the philadelphia city line. i really don't know a single person who saw the movie oh, brother and did not like the music. i was thrilled that it won the grammy and my daughter called me from her dorm room in the city to see if i was watching it on tv. the down from the mountain concert played to a sold out house in center city philadelphia and was given a standing ovation. i am a fan of most kinds of music, except the ones you mentioned (eminem, etc.) and this was the first time i had seen a concert of this type of music live. i want you to know it was the most exciting and thrilling thing i have ever been to and i am hooked and am now searching the internet for the dates and places of these mountain music festivals. my goal is to attend one or two each year. now i may be from a densely populated area and we do tend to hurry and i can hear my neighbors sneeze, but i like my neighbors close. it's great when they come over for coffee in the morning and bring the donuts and when they borrow my lawn mower and them mow my lawn too. i love to visit the countryside in pa where my cousins all live, but i love my neighborhood too, where i can sit on the front step and watch the kids play and talk to passing neighbors.
>From: "Holly Parker" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: RE: BG: FW: Heritage >Date: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 07:08:09 -0400 > > >You know, I recently read an article in a well-known music magazine that >was >poking fun at the Grammy's for the "sleeper" chosen for Best Album. We all >know what that best album was. I just can't imagine how people like >Marilyn >Manson, Eminem, and Kid Rock can be respected and yet bluegrass is >ridiculed. It doesn't make any sense to me. > >We are constantly bombarded with Equal rights, respect differences, >politically correctness, etc. and yet we have all this sentiment of >stereotype when it comes to mountain people and their music. > >I came from the mountains of Virginia. A small town called Galax, >Virginia. >Home to the largest Fidderlers Convention in the world. I'm a true >hillbilly. My kin, sit on old front porches with coon dogs running loose. >Bluegrass music was played on those front porches on Saturday evening >followed by church on Sunday morning. > >I moved to Raleigh, NC 3 years ago. What a culture shock! Since moving >here, I have been called "common", been turned down for jobs due to my >"accent" (they say that it portrays ignorance), and basically looked down >upon because of the fact that I am from somewhere that isn't populated over >100,000 residences. Although, recently in a convenience store, I was a >show stopper because I was the only person who would help a mentally >challenged man purchase a Coca-Cola. > >He came in completely disheveled. Dressed completely inappropriately for >the weather. It was during the 5pm rush hour. People were scurrying to >stay away from him and just trying to get home as quickly as possible. The >store was full of expensive business suits, and well-done hair. This man >marched straight up to the counter and tried to tell the attendant that he >wanted a Coke. He pushed two dimes across the counter and smiled. The >attendant tried to explain to him that he didn't have enough for the drink. >The man didn't understand what he was saying to him and wandered off to the >fountain to try to make his drink. People were huffing and charging the >attendant to get out before the man held them up again. I watched him >trying to figure out how to get the drink in the cup. I walked over to the >coolers, got a bottled Coke, and went towards the counter. The attendant >smiled at me and motioned for me to come to the head of the line. You >could've heard a pin drop. I think everyone had stopped breathing. The >man >was on his way back to the counter with a crumpled cup and I showed him the >drink. He gave a toothless smile, and tried to take his cup back. I paid >for the drink, gave it to him along with his two dimes and he walked out >the >door. The look on his face was that of a child with a new toy. > >The attendant then smiled again, and rang me out. The whole store was >speechless. And to me, that was the most sad. The fact that those people >in their Lexus, and busy day were so surprised that I had helped this man. >What were they thinking? > >But this is Raleigh. The influx of the techies, and sales staff from all >over the country has brought with them their big city attitudes. They >don't >know how else to live. They buy half million dollar homes that sit within >10 feet of their neighbor's half million dollar homes on each side. >Because >they are used to living in condos or downtown apartments. They speed, and >have frequent accidents on the highways because they are used to crowded >streets and high insurance premiums. It's a land confused. > >I want to go home. Back to my mountains. Back to the lady in Wal-mart >that >will give you a quarter if you need one. Back to driving on two-lane roads >where everybody you pass waves at you with all five fingers even if the >don't know you. Back where you can leave the screen door unlocked at night >to let the cool air in. Back where you can let the kids play in the yard >without worry. Back where the children in your class at school don't know >about sex at 10 years old. Back to where the paths in the woods aren't >paved. Back where 100 year old trees are in everybody's front yard. Back >where life is slow and satisfying. > >Bluegrass Bulletin Board brought to you by the fan club of >Dr Ralph Stanley & His Clinch Mountain Boys >subscribe or unsubscribe at http://drralphstanley.com/ _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. Bluegrass Bulletin Board brought to you by the fan club of Dr Ralph Stanley & His Clinch Mountain Boys subscribe or unsubscribe at http://drralphstanley.com/
