When I was growing up, I dreamed I would be a famous author.  That was my first real ambition.  For as long as I can remember I have written. I spent hours at the creek behind our house where the branches of the creek came together to form miniature waterfalls – just writing. I still write on anything I can find. You find my jots on napkins, church bulletins, IEP documents, etc.  My dear husband (my biggest fan) has been telling me I should blog for a good while. I postponed it because number one, why on earth would anyone want to read what I have to say? They get tired enough of hearing me for goodness sake!  Number two, why would I want to intentionally add one more thing to my schedule?  Then, I turned 50 and decided that my present to myself would be to spend more time writing. Still, no blog.  The strangest thing convinced me though:  I liked the name SassySouthernGal.  We have moved six times in our marriage (seven if you count the house in Phoenix that fell through because the owner couldn’t present clear title because the owner had hit someone over the head at a biker bar and there was a lien against the house!).  We have lived in three Southern states (Texas (okay Southwest), Arkansas and Tennessee), one western state Arizona and now the midwestern state of Kansas. Each state has some beautiful things and each state has some challenges. It has been intriguing to be a misplaced Southerner.  A couple of interesting things include people thinking we aren’t very bright simply because we are from the south. A real estate broker in Arizona told me in a very patronizing tone that he was sorry I didn’t understand Arizona Real Estate Law.  I told thim not to confuse my delightful Southern accent with stupidity.  In Kansas, many people think Memphis and Arkansas are tropical paradises. I’ve been asked if I had ever seen snow before I moved here and what I thought of the “cold” weather when it made it into the fifties on those first fall days? Granted I am very cold-natured and would prefer the beach to the cold but that too is a topic for another day. The flip side was when someone said they supposed it was more humid in KC than in Memphis?  I have found good people and foul people wherever we have gone. I really do embrace the idea of growing where you’re planted (even though I wilt a little at times).  But for the life of me I will never understand why people think it is cute to imitate my accent?  Like the waiter or the sales clerk at the grocery store?  I am equally as perplexed when people tell me “don’t worry, you’ll lose your accent.”  Did I say I wanted to lose my accent? Why would you presume such a thing? I like my accent. Even more perplexing is that these same souls think their imitations sound Southern!  So I guess SassySouthernGal is my way of staking my territory and getting back to my roots.  I guess it is also my way of becoming that famous author. On the most basic level, it’s just me wanting to share life and I hope some of our life experiences in a way that will impact someone else’s day for the good.