Den of the Beastly Bear
Hi Folks!
I try my best to be "good", but sometimes it's so HARD!
Quite a few years ago now we had a friend that was getting married. Of course we planned to attend!
The problem was he lived in Alabama, and we live in Michigan...so it was not as simple as " show up Saturday" lol.
Other members of his family, that we are closer friends with were heading down so we decided we'd make a vacation out of it.
We'd head down a few days early, a nice relaxing unhurried visit. Then after the wedding we'd head over to Myrtle Beach, SC. for some beach time before heading home.
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| Read this, it'll be important later. |
Athens, Alabama is a beautiful, quiet little country town...we loved it!
We met our friends extended family, like every bodies sprinkled with a few mixed "nuts", but every single one of them so warm and gracious, and friendly that we felt a "part of the family"!
We got to meet our friends fiancée and family, and they were lovely people too...with one exception.
The brides father.
He was of the "Damn Yankee" breed of Southerner.
And he made no effort to hide it.
Anything from North of the Mason/Dixon line was suspect! Anyone from the South that moved North got "Yankee'fied", and were then rendered "useless" according to him.
Why all these "Damn Yankees" were here for the wedding he didn't understand, or like.
That was how he referred to us...every...single...time.
Promised to be on my best behavior, and not wanting to cause our friend any addition stress, I bit my lip....hard! Lol.
Finally the day of the wedding arrived!
A lovely service held on the courthouse steps, I was pressed into service to run the music.
A typical July Alabama day, sunny and HOT!
After the service, pictures were being taken on the steps while the rest of us looked for shade.
A group of us "Yankees" were standing together talking...I was mopping my brow with my kerchief when the father of the bride sauntered over, a malicious grin on his face.
"Hot enough for you Damn Yankees? Looks like a couple of y'all are a startin' ta melt!" He asked, nasty and smug.
I'd suffered through 4 days of this chucklehead, and I'd had just about enough.
"Oh, we don't mind the heat so much...In fact," I said
"last time MY people were down here, it wasn't quite hot enough for us so we lit all this..." I motioned to the town square around us "on fire!"
(Did ya read the sign? I told you it was important.)
;-)
I smiled my own malicious smile,"Thanks for asking though" and with that I turned and left our little group and went to find more pleasant company.
That was the last time I heard the phrase "Damn Yankees" uttered in my presence...
I try to be good...it's just so HARD!!!
Be Well!
Beastly Bear
We met our friends extended family, like every bodies sprinkled with a few mixed "nuts", but every single one of them so warm and gracious, and friendly that we felt a "part of the family"!
We got to meet our friends fiancée and family, and they were lovely people too...with one exception.
The brides father.
He was of the "Damn Yankee" breed of Southerner.
And he made no effort to hide it.
Anything from North of the Mason/Dixon line was suspect! Anyone from the South that moved North got "Yankee'fied", and were then rendered "useless" according to him.
Why all these "Damn Yankees" were here for the wedding he didn't understand, or like.
That was how he referred to us...every...single...time.
Promised to be on my best behavior, and not wanting to cause our friend any addition stress, I bit my lip....hard! Lol.
Finally the day of the wedding arrived!
 |
| Just Beautiful! |
A lovely service held on the courthouse steps, I was pressed into service to run the music.
 |
| Mama & Princess Bear and I on the Courthouse lawn. |
A typical July Alabama day, sunny and HOT!
After the service, pictures were being taken on the steps while the rest of us looked for shade.
A group of us "Yankees" were standing together talking...I was mopping my brow with my kerchief when the father of the bride sauntered over, a malicious grin on his face.
"Hot enough for you Damn Yankees? Looks like a couple of y'all are a startin' ta melt!" He asked, nasty and smug.
I'd suffered through 4 days of this chucklehead, and I'd had just about enough.
"Oh, we don't mind the heat so much...In fact," I said
"last time MY people were down here, it wasn't quite hot enough for us so we lit all this..." I motioned to the town square around us "on fire!"
(Did ya read the sign? I told you it was important.)
;-)
I smiled my own malicious smile,"Thanks for asking though" and with that I turned and left our little group and went to find more pleasant company.
That was the last time I heard the phrase "Damn Yankees" uttered in my presence...
I try to be good...it's just so HARD!!!
Be Well!
Beastly Bear
This just made me chuckle! Good job, Big Bear.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jo! Left him sputtering...did my heart good!
DeleteNot sure if he was even worth that.
ReplyDeleteAt least you tried.
ReplyDeleteI tried REAL HARD joeh...but even I have my limits! Lol
DeleteThe sign pic is way too small to read, even when I clicked on it. So I have to assume it was a Civil War northern victory? I'm sure he has a whole other, special, set of words for you now. lol
ReplyDeleteJoJo, the pertinent passage reads thus:
Delete"Athens was seized by the Union Army in May 1862. The resultant destruction of homes and businesses by these forces is known as the "Sack of Athens". The town was occupied by the Union Army for most of the war."
I admit to a certain amount of vindictive pleasure in shutting his pie hole after days of "Damn Yankee" this, and "Damn Yankee" that, and "that must be a "Damn Yankee" thing!" Lol
Hahahaha! Having lived in the south for 5 years too many I know so well that "Damn Yankee" phrase. Ya' know what I always used to ask them when they'd say it to me? "I heard the south was gonna' rise again, any idea when that might be happening?" Some of those inbred jed cuz fuckers just haaaated me and for no other reason than they considered me a "Damn Yankee." - Good for you!
ReplyDeleteHe was the only unpleasant individual we met our entire time down there...
DeleteBut certainly was anti-yankee! Lol
Haha! You had good restraint to last until the wedding day. What a terrific retort you gave to the "Mouth of the South," The comments from Magical Mystical MiMi before mine is amusing too.
ReplyDeleteThanks Michelle...it did feel pretty good after having to put up with him all week!!!
DeleteAfter having read the historical marker, all I had to do was wait for the right opportunity... I knew he'd give me one, and he didn't disappoint.
HA HA HA HA HA! Served that asshole right! I would have loved to have been a mouse! That is simply priceless Joe. Absolutely priceless. Yeah...and who won the war??? LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathy! Got a few "I can't believe you said that.."
DeleteBut hey, you can only poke the bear just so many times before you pull back a bloody stump! ;-)
You know how much I love and adore the south, southern people and the culture. But I have to admit, every time I go down there I will inevitably at least once in a five day period, hear a discussion about the Civil War. It really cracks me up. I always tell people we can go years without discussing the Civil War in the north; it is just not a topic of conversation for us. It is HISTORY, done and over with! But in their defense it is far more prevalent in the south; everywhere you go there is a historic landmark regarding the war so it is more in the forefront of their mind. That being said some people just don't like Yankee's for whatever reason. You did well Bear! Jen
ReplyDeleteThanks Jen!
DeleteYou know that every single other person we met or talked to was as wonderful as could be! We LOVED our time in Alabama...with the exception of that one guy. Lol.