Sean of the South and I Love Alabama

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I was born in Alabama. And if you’ve read my first novel, Grave Consequences, you know it’s set in South Alabama. (Don’t tell anybody, but Loblolly is patterned after a place I once lived.)

If you know author, Sean Dietrich, otherwise known as Sean of the South, you may have read his February 3, 2022, post titled, In Defense of Alabama.

If you haven’t read it, find it here:  https://seandietrich.com/in-defense-of-alabama/

TAKING LIBERTIES – WITH MY APOLOGIES

Many of the things Sean mentioned are facts I’ve known all my life. I thought I’d take the liberty to expand on and put my personal spin on his post. Now, admittedly, I am no comedienne, even though my family seems to think I’m rather amusing.

It seems some anonymous fella wrote to Sean back in 2022, and berated him about moving to Birmingham. Alabama, not England. Mr. Annonymous went so far as to use unsavory language, politely bleeped out by Sean, to describe anyone who would choose to move to Alabama. So, Sean used a few facts to defend my fair home state. Here are just a few. Oh, the man who wrote Sean said he was from Brooklyn.

Since the post was about Alabama, I naturally thought the man meant Brooklyn, Alabama. My mother-in-law was born in Brooklyn.

Alabama, that is. See why I thought that?

Sean of the South and I Love Alabama @DDuPreeWilliams #Writing #Alabama Share on X

BROOKLYN AND ANDALUSIA – TWO GREAT LITTLE TOWNS

I wonder if Sean knows about Alabama’s Brooklyn. It’s a lovely little community on the outskirts of my hometown, Andalusia. Brooklyn Baptist Church is on the historic registry and six generations of my hubby’s family are interred in the cemetery there.

Andalusia is now the home of the famous Miss Brenda Gantt, of Cooking With Brenda Gantt.  I went to high school with some of her family. Now, if you aren’t following her on Facebook, honey, what are you waitin’ for and how are you fixin’ dinner without her help? It’s gonna be good, y’all!

KNOWN THEM ALL MY LIFE

We Alabamians have always been mighty proud of our own. People we learned about since our grammar school days—George Washington Carver, Booker T. Washington, and Helen Keller are three Sean mentioned. If you’ve eaten peanut butter or used a Crayola Crayon, you’ve experienced the inventions of George Washington Carver. And one of Alabama’s finest educational institutions, Tuskegee Institute, now the University, was founded by former slave, Booker T. Washington. Thank you, to these fine gentlemen.

And if you’ve never seen the movie, The Miracle Worker, the story of Helen Keller, do go watch it. Make some popcorn and call in your kids. It’s a lovely story of overcoming life’s biggest obstacles. If you’re in Tuscumbia, Alabama, you can catch the play at Ivy Green, Helen Keller’s birthplace.

My hubby is a sports fan, so he was delighted to see Sean mention Satchel Paige, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron. J (that’s hubby, yes just J) and I lived in Birmingham when we were first married. We often traveled to Atlanta to see the Braves play. Yep. We got to see “Hammering Hank.” What a thrill, especially for hubby. (Don’t tell anybody, but I sat and read while he watched the game. Until Hank got up to bat.)

Let’s not leave out the music makers from Alabama. Sean mentioned Hank Williams, Sr. Did you know he and his wife got married in Andalusia? Man! My hometown has had some things of note happening. Of course, we can’t forget Alabama.

PARADES, ROCKETS, AND CROWNS

Did you know that Alabama was the home of the very first Mardi Gras celebration? This happened in Mobile fifteen years before the more-famous one. But we won’t go there. (Seriously, I won’t.) I have a cousin from Mobile. He’s been involved in the Mardi Gras there for as long as I can remember. He’s even been on the floats as part of his Krewe. Don’t ask me which one.

And I can’t leave out Alabama’s contribution to our space program. The Red Stone Arsenal as it was once called is in Huntsville. Several of the children of the scientists who came with von Braun (yes, real-life rocket scientists) attended my Alma Mater, Birmingham-Southern College. The father of one of my besties, Dr. George von Tiesenhausen, designed and built the Lunar Rover. I and another friend sang at the wedding of Dr. v T’s granddaughter. Such a beautiful wedding in the Fall in Vermont. What an honor. By the way, Dr. v T. lived to be 104! Oh, and I almost forgot. Hubby’s cousin, Dr. Alvin Perkins was one of the rocket scientists there.

One thing Sean didn’t mention was the brilliant, beautiful, and talented women from Alabama. My Alma Mater can claim to have Miss Alabama, Alabama’s Junior Miss, and Miss Alabama USA as students, all at the same time. And just to add one more, my dear friend and fellow music major, was Alabama’s Maid of Cotton. And let’s not forget that Andalusia has the claim to fame for being the home of the National Maid of Cotton back in 1964. There’s my hometown again.

I love the town in which I was born, Dothan, Alabama. Mama and Daddy met and married there. Generations of my family have lived there or in surrounding areas for as long ago as my great-great-grandparents. I still have tons of family there. Sean mentioned the Peanut Festival and that Dothan is the peanut capital of the world. When she was about 3 or 4, my big Sister, who lives in Heaven now, won a contest to ride on a float in the Peanut Parade as Little Miss Sunbeam, representing the Sunbeam Bread Company. Oddly, we grew up eating Colonial Bread. Go figure.

Do go and read Sean’s post about Alabama. You’ll see why he chose to live there. And you will learn a lot more facts than I included here.

Blessings, y’all!

I still love this.