Call Me A Cracker

I was listening to a country music radio station this morning on my way home from dropping Elizabeth off at school, when a song by artist Brantley Gilbert called “Country Must Be Country Wide” came on. If you are not familiar with it, this song is about the love for country music as well as characteristics  stereotypically associated with people of southern origin being found not just in the south, but in people spread across the USA in places one wouldn’t expect. I was born and raised in Florida which is generally known for it’s beaches. Of course there is also Disney World, Miami, and the Keys. But most of Florida has nothing to do with those things that people come here to vacation for or retire to. Largely, Florida is historically and naturally farm and cattle land, and swamp. Because Florida is relatively narrow, no matter where you live in Florida, the beach is not far away. I am from central Florida and when I was a child, it was mostly orange fields, strawberry fields, and cattle. Now-a-days, there is more pavement (black top), and Walmarts, but I consider myself a “country girl”, or at least southern. Remember, I am a native Floridian whose parents are native Floridians, whose parents were native Floridians. I even have a cousin who is part Seminole Indian and you can see the Indian in her. The rest of the population are descendants of the North or other countries that flock to southern Florida and the coast lines. So if you are not from Florida whose ancestors are from Florida, your perception will be drastically different.

The reason I explained that is because I lived in Bristol, Virginia for ten of my adult years. It is where I met my husband, and where everyone would agree is “southern”. The entire duration of my time in Bristol, no one considered me a country girl, or southern,(or whatever related term you use), once knowing I was from Florida, my husband included. Why would they? I didn’t have the twang in my speech (accent), and I think I may have overall just looked a little different, less done up. Florida is a very casual state after all. Also, when I lived there, I was told my dialect was more proper. And it was I guess.

I like this song because I know the message is true. It is funny to me that even though my husband was born and raised in Bristol, a very southern place, I grew up more “country” than he did. I never wore shoes, I played on hay stacks, in cow patties, and in the mud. Yet, when I lived for ten years in the area known as, Below the Mason Dixon line, no one would have ever guessed all that.

By the way, in Florida we like to call ourselves Crackers. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Florida%20Cracker

Here is the song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8peBUdlUNmM