Mississippi

In the last four days I've picked my first fistful of cotton from a field in Tennessee, drank my first glass of sweet tea in Arkansas, and attended my first Southern Baptist church service. For the girl from Alaska, the South is full of firsts. A tiny gas station sells no fresh fruit or vegetables, but has three different brands of boiled peanuts in a can. Hmm... do I embark on a new culinary experience, or leave empty handed?

Even the "easy" questions seem hard. Would I like my black-eyed peas with or without ketchup? I don't know, I've never had black-eyed peas...

I found a Farmers Market in Memphis, but since then my opportunities for produce have been few. Plenty of fried chicken, though. It's hard for me to understand how folks can live on carbs, dairy, and meat products alone. But there are lots of things in the South that are hard for me to understand.

One is, the way people talk. It's humbling to realize that, although we're from the same country, there's a bit of a language barrier between myself and the folks I meet. Someone will start talking to me, and I'll be one step behind, dredging up whatever meaning I can from the dark depths of their Mississippi drawl.

Folks here are completely puzzled about my trip. "Wah?" A man asked me last night at a country store, "Wah?". I stared at him blankly, pondering the funny noise he was making, and the way it ended with his mouth wide open. "WAH?" He asked again, looking frustrated. My Southern Translation finally kicked into gear.
"Oh, why am I bicycling?"
He nodded.
"Um, well, I like bikes..."

I swear I've tried giving every reason, and the folks in Mississippi still look at me like I've struck them across the face. I say "adventure" and a woman said "don't they have that in Oregon?". I say "to see the states" and a fellow responded "cars have windows, you know". I say "to visit my sister" and a woman said "take a plane!". It's no use, but still they ask me, over and over, "Wah?" as if eventually something I say will make sense to them.

"Lordy, you out here by yo'self?" One woman asked me.
"Yes ma'am" (I'm getting better at remembering to say ma'am and sir, now).
"Now, your parents..." she shook her head. "Tell me, is your mother living?"
"Yes ma'am"
"Well not fuh long girl, you gonna give her a heart attack"

I get to have conversations like that... all day.