This Southern Belle's Musings

This Southern Belle's Musings

"Darlin', don't ever take a Southern woman for granted!" [tm]

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Thursday, July 01, 2004

Careful With Your Mud-Slinging

In further explanation to my "Extremes" answer to question #2, this is a post I made on March 22, 2004 at 21:09 on a "certain" site in response to a column that was written in a less-than-thinly-veiled manner attacking Southern Belles.    This was my "restrained" response to the horrible, unprovoked criticisms that were hurled in my direction without provocation:

[begin copy of original post from other site]

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      *pardon me, I feel a rant coming on*
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Oh, MY!

Even though I had already turned off my computer and had it all completed un-hooked and ready to take to the computer whiz to work on while I was out of town, he called this afternoon to say he would be out this evening and could I drop it by on my way out-of-town in the morning so that he can re-format my hard drive and reinstall all of my programs while I'm away, and although all of our bags are packed and ready for an early Tuesday departure, my telephone has been literally ringing off the hook today asking if I had read this column.    When I finally arrived home just a few minutes ago, I had to hook everything back up, log on, and see what all of the hoopla was about.

How horrible that you've had such a bad experience with someone purporting to be a Southern Belle.    Obviously, she isn't a true Southern Belle if she has offended you in such a way that has caused you to write such a scathing column.

Your broad generalizations might be a bit too broad if you are genuinely referring to one specific person that you say you recently met.    If this is your overall opinion of all Southern women, that is truly your right, as we all have the right to our own opinions.    Of course, we Southerners have the same rights to our opinions, including our opinions on Yankees and the dreaded "transplanted" Yankees, better known in the South as Damn Yankees.    I just don't think we would be expressing it in such a manner in a widely read column (just mho).

I did find it quite astonishingly coincidental, though, that many of the characteristics that you attributed to the "person" you spoke of in your column happen to be some of the exact same things that you know (for a fact from many of our previous conversations by phone, e-mail, and here on [deleted]) also happen to apply to me as well.

Granted, my s.o. has what some consider a prestigious career making six figures, we live very comfortably, travel often, and enjoy many of life's pleasures yet, in our (and many others') opinion, that doesn't make us snotty, conceited, or elitist.    We have friends from all walks of life - from a wide variety of socio-economic, ethnic, religious, and other diverse backgrounds, and we treat everyone the same, and they treat us the same - no better, no worse, than anyone else.

And, yes, I admit it - I get a manicure and pedicure every two weeks.    My fingernails are long and painted a bright shade of red.    Yet, that doesn't mean that I can't do any work with them.    I go to the tanning salon 3-4 times a week.    My masseuse comes to my house twice a month for an hour-long massage session each time.    I see my hair stylist every 5-6 weeks for a trim.    And, yes, I have a Victoria's Secret Angels gold card and, it just so happens that I received a UPS package just today containing over $300 worth of bras and panties.

But, in addition to all of this, I also change the kitty litter, take out the trash, pump my own gas, do the laundry, cook, clean, but do not have maids or servants of any sort (not even a gardener - I do the gardening myself), do payroll every Sunday for my s.o.'s seven companies, get up at 4:30 a.m. every Monday morning to fight the D.C. traffic just to get to Maryland by 7:00 a.m. to do paperwork all day for the same said companies - then UPS the paperwork to the home office in [deleted] for further processing.    Then, I spend the rest of the week, aside from errands, housework, and assorted odds-n-ends, submitting my works (writing and photography) to the publications I work for by contract and freelance.

I have three B.A. degrees in Fine Art, Applied Art-Journalism and Interior Design, with minors in Psychology and Sociology.    I am involved in charities - specifically Breast Cancer Awareness as my mother is a survivor, and several animal protection and adoption organizations.    I volunteer at Thanksgiving and Christmas at homeless shelters and soup kitchens.    I have volunteered in the same organization as [deleted] mentioned at Christmas in collecting toys and gifts for underprivileged families and children.    I am very active in many of the Arts organizations, and have served on several committees for charity fund-raisers.

Next month, my s.o. and I will be traveling to a secluded B&B right on the beach in a small California coastal town for a week, with day trips to the Channel Islands, touring the wine country, and enjoying time away from the hectic east coast stressors and all forms of technology and internet b.s.

True Southern Belles are NOT weak, manipulative women who use a southern drawl and a helpless attitude to make their way in this world.    True Southern Belles are strong, independent, capable, secure, educated, and determined women who just know that we don't have to take sh*t off of anyone!

So, if you mean a particular woman of southern inclinations, please be more specific - just don't lump the entire South into a generalization.    And, if your particular woman was a euphemistic reference for someone in particular, why not share the specifics with us instead?

Now, if you don't mind, I have to unhook my computer - AGAIN - and head off to bed - 5:00 a.m. will come awfully early in the morning, and we are heading South to visit family and friends, and to celebrate my s.o.'s birthday!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK, EVERYONE!

[end copy of original post from other site]

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As you can see, I do not take kindly to anyone who attacks the South, Southern Belles, or me in particular.    If you have something to say to me, about me, or about my beloved South, there are ways to do it, and ways not to do it.    This "person" picked the wrong way, and the wrong forum to voice her less-than-thinly-veiled opinions by mud-slinging my way.

LONG LIVE THE SOUTH!

(c)   2004    A Southern Belle's Life

# Kitty purred her secrets at :1:46 PM
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Susan Reno-Gilliland, known as "Miss Kitty," an Irish lass, a true Southern Belle; a writer, photographer, animal-lover, dreamer, stargazer, totally tangled (or is that entangled?) in relationships, slightly obsessive iNFp with stories to tell! . . . (fascinated by forensics, human behavior, pushing all the right buttons of men I find interesting, and seeking utterly-sweet revenge without any repercussions.) I am a Friday's Child. Friday's Child is loving & giving.
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