There's No Place Like Home

In his book Prodigal God Tim Keller spoke of the elusive concept of home. Everyone wants to go home, but the home we long for when we are having a no-good-crummy-day, rarely exists. It is a rose colored memory, a combination of imagination and youth.  He concludes, ultimately that what we long for is heaven where all wrongs are righted and all tears are dried.  I do agree, but I think, on a less spiritual side, sometimes we can just long for South Carolina, the subtly southern state with the not so southern humor.

Reasons why I love  South Carolina (please note that my lack of intuition and general weirdness may cause me to miss how others view my home sweet home!)

1. It's the place where e'rbody knows yur name, and they are gonna yell it. Nothing is more comforting then walkin into the Merk City Mall and havin somebody scream out some inappropriate comment and then realize... you know them.

2. South Carolina is a new kinda classy. They may be wearing pearls and sundresses but don't be fooled they are talking about stuff that will make your cheeks blush (and I don't just mean the cheeks on your face...)!

3. We are loud. Maybe that is just my people, but my people tend to be the loudest in any and all restaurants, movie theaters, hotels and grocery stores.

4. We are wild. Maybe that is also just my people, but we tend to attract stares.  Since we love talking to strangers that's no problem.

5. Our home is your home. I love walking into my many South Carolina homes and being greeted by strangers. Our home is your home, and opening our home is just normal. It's what we do.

6. When we eat, its good food and when we drink its a pomegranate martini.

7. It's normal to talk about calories and do lunges in the kitchen while we dip our fried pickles in ranch.

8. We (again maybe just my people) are NOT sickly sweet. We shoot a girl straight. We give our opinions freely. We fight fiercely. We love authentically.  We are just plain scrappy.  (That is a reference to Kelly's rehearsal dinner speech which we totally botched).

So yes, South Carolina is far from heaven and my version is far from complete, but somedays I just wanna go home where I can be wild, loud, funny and honest without someone looking offended.  I want to sit on the back porch and wait for 20 people to randomly show up.  I just wanna go home. (Please be looking for the follow up on things I do not enjoy about my home sweet home which will include monograms, pearls, pink camouflage, racism. the typical church experience... oh and sweet tea).