That Slow Southern Style

Let me first curtsey and introduce myself. My name is Lyndsey Roland, born and raised in Memphis the only child of two blue collar workers. Growing up, my southern accent was an embarassment that I tried to mask by practicing the dialect of my literature texts aloud, and I could not wait until I turned eighteen and could move far away to start my life over somewhere new and exciting. In fact, that is exactly what I did right out of high school. Abandoning the conventional expectations of college, career, and marriage, I instead chose to move to Saint Louis, MO., Anaheim, CA., and Chicago, IL., and I have seen many beautiful places such as Catalina Island and the mountains in Northern California. However, I always find myself coming back here, back home.

As someone who spent most of my life here, one would think that I would find the city familiar and welcoming. I have come to realize that I did not really embrace the city as my hometown, and never ventured very far beyond my comfort triangle of home, school, and work. I have never been to Graceland, cannot remember the last time I saw Mud Island, and could not name even one museum aside from the Children's Museum. While I assume that a city that could father musicians such as Elvis Presley and BB King would have a story behind such a rich culture, I do not know the city's history or any names of the founders. It is because of all of this that I am looking forward to this class. I am hoping to change how I have always looked at this city.

Though I have had a negative view of the facade Memphis presents to the rest of the world, I have always been able to recognize the interwoven threads that tie us all to this place. It is in the rich soil that has supported generations of farmers. It is in the thick drawl of our words and the slow pace of our lives. It is in the setting sun of an easy Sunday afternoon. It is in the smile of your closest friends and family at a fish fry to celebrate the Fourth of July. Having lived in the North and the West, I haven't been able to find this atmosphere anywhere else. There is an expectation here that men are gentlemen, the women are ladies, and your neighbors are going to be willing to give you the shirt off their back if you find yourself running into hard times. This is the place where family and roots mean something other than more presents at Christmas. This is where "yes ma'am" and "no ma'am" are a way of life.

This is no Utopia. Each day we are faced with racism, violence, and tension. If it isn't in our backyards, it is just beyond the fence. Most of the students here do not finish a degree, and if they do they end up moving out of state. I would like to help change that. Just researching what I want to do for the semester project in this class has inspired me to push myself to make a change in this city. I am very excited for what the semester will hold for all of us.