Implementing Life's Lessons

I have previously written of some of the lessons that the Universe wanted me to learn. The two most important lessons I learned from the Cajun people of South Louisiana - The importance of Family and The Enjoyment of Life.

All too often Life places obstacles in our path. Sometime these obstacles are small and easy to overcome and other times they can be very daunting and almost over-whelming. But we must always remember that we are never alone in tackling these difficulties, no matter the size. Family and Friends (and really, aren't our friends part of our Family?) are there to help us on that journey we call Life. They are there to listen when we need to talk, lend a hand when we need help, share in our joys and our woes. All we need to do is ask for their help.

So, when my oldest son called last week needing assistance, I did not hesitate to say that I would be there to lend a hand - even though it meant that the completion of our house makeover would be delayed. Ten days ago, my daughter-in-law was in a 4-wheeler accident and broke her collar bone. And while my son is a very capable young man, the stress and strain of working full time, running the house, and taking care of their two little girls and his wife was rapidly becoming too much. My DIL's family lives nearby and have been great to lend assistance but they all work so their time is limited. I flew out to Denver this past Saturday and will be here till about mid-May when I'll head back home for my Hubby's college graduation.

Please send positive healing energy my DIL's way. She may be looking at surgery if the brace doesn't pull the bone back into place.

And this recent accident has only proved that Life can be so uncertain. One never knows when something can happen. We should all strive to live each and every day to its fullest. Every day dawns anew - a fresh start - a chance to fulfill dreams.

Living in the South ~ The WildWoods

When we relocated to Mena, we moved to a unique house located in a small woods a few miles outside of town. The property on which the house is located is as unique as the house. 
The house was built in the 1950s by a retired Military officer. He fell in love with the manor houses of Germany while he was there during WWII. When he came back to the states, he decided to build a house similar to those he saw. He built a 3800 sq ft cinder block house. All the walls are cinder block. Even the interior walls are cinder block. The layout is interesting and quite a few people have commented on how comfortable the house feels.  
(I even have a real Harry Potter under-the-stairs closet & Hubby is still looking for the hidden bunker that he just knows the original owner had installed.... )


The property is located next to a school which serves the small communities on the west side of the county. The original property encompassed several acres complete with an orchard, but as the school grew, they began to purchase some of the property for expansion. Eventually the school purchased everything - the house, the land and all out buildings. That's where we came in. The school was needing money for a paved track for track and field events. They put the house, outbuildings and two acres up for sale. And we bought it. The school kept 10 acres of the original property to keep in its natural state for an outdoor classroom. Our house is totally surrounded by that outdoor classroom. The kids of the school maintain the trails in the woods (outdoor classroom) and keep trash and dead-fall picked up. I have enjoyed seeing the kids ooh and aah over the things to be discovered in these woods. I can hear the band practice in the morning, and see the kids run laps through the woods (track practice) every weekday afternoon. And it gives me a good feeling to look at that track (I can see it from my backyard) and know that we helped with its installation. And the school has achieved a track championship every year since we moved here.


These 10 acres have come to be known as the WildWoods. They have been a source of amazement and enjoyment for me as well as the children at the school. I'm always up for a walk in the WildWoods to try and spy the first wild orchid of the season or watch as the grove of American Mandrake comes into bloom. These Wildwoods have also been a source of enlightenment. It is here that the trees taught me to listen. It is here that my spirit has run free and unfettered. 
The woods are a mixture of hardwoods and pine. A small creek is at the back edge of the WildWoods, separating it from pasture land. We've had a fox den up under a shed, a bat take up residence outside the backdoor, and even deer have been seen in the WildWoods (or was it possibly the Green Man?).  The trees speak to me with the rustle of their leaves on the wind and share their joy of Spring by bursting into bloom. I felt the trees pain one Spring when their branches were bent and broken from the weight of an unexpected wet heavy snow.


There is quite a variety of trees here in the WildWoods - Oak, Maple, Hickory, Walnut, Dogwood, Pine - to name just a few. They each have their unique personalities and rhythms. But the tree that has been a close friend, since the time we moved in, is a lovely Sweetgum tree that stands not too far outside our back door. She has provided us with shade in the scorching summer sun, glorious color in the Autumn, a buffet of seeds for the little birds in the winter months, and she is one of the first trees in the yard to show signs of Spring. I am going to miss these trees who have become members of the family.

Living in the South ~ Spirituality or lack there of...

Driving through the South a person will see a common theme - churches. There is a great abundance of churches in the Bible Belt as well as the occasional tent for the tent revival. Yes, there are still tent revivals. And there is a church or religion for every size, shape, or taste.  Almost.


I never realized how restrictive and biased religion really is until I moved here to Mena. Catholicism is the predominant religion in southern Louisiana and the parishioners are very adamant about their religion. But they are also very tolerant of those who do not share their faith. But in this section of the Bible Belt, religion is everything and everywhere. A common thread through conversations is, "what church do you go to?"  And here, like in most places where religion is a big part of people's lives, people are overweight and feel that going to church on Sunday absolves them of all the sins committed during the week. And people aren't as tolerant of those who do not share their beliefs.


About two years after we moved here, there were still quite a few 'progressive thinkers' around. And they were trying to make the community into a destination place for tourists rather than a stop-over place. One of these 'thinkers'  decided to start a non-denominational church - a place of worship for those of alternative faith. He openly advertised in the local newspaper for several weeks about an organizational meeting to be held at his house. This organizational meeting was going to be held just before Beltane and he openly stated that he was going to have a bonfire - he welcomed people to come celebrate Life with friends around the bonfire. Almost immediately there were flyers around town advertising meetings to be held at various churches about this new 'heathen' church. A few days before the 'thinker's' meeting was to be held, I stopped by the local Salvation Army store for a bit of junqueing and who did I find inside but several women who were holding an impromptu meeting regarding the devil's arrival in town. These women were encouraging the other shoppers to join in the protest they were going to stage in front of the guys house the night of the meeting. (can we say angry mob with pitchforks?)  I was aghast at what I was seeing and hearing. I mean, this is the 21st century, right?  The next week in the local newspaper, under the police report, I saw that several people were arrested for trespassing  at the residence of the 'progressive thinker'.

* Tolerance - Just another word in the dictionary *

And then there is the local church who requires some of the parishioners to stand on the street corner with signs which read about salvation and damnation. These people go so far as rushing cars stopped at the stoplight and shoving flyers about sins, death and damnation into open windows. Quite often those flyers land in the laps of children.


I've also heard that there are illicit activities that still take place deep in the woods of  Arkansas.........

Living in the South ~ The Buckle of the Bible Belt

       When we began to look for a new home, we decided to relocate closer to Hubby's Grandparents who lived in eastern Oklahoma. They were getting older and really needed someone around to help them out. We decided to settle in the Ouachita Mountains of western Arkansas. This area offered four seasons and the mountains that Hubby and I missed.  (I hadn't ever seen any place as flat as south Louisiana!) And yet, the Ouachita Mountains were close enough we could still help out the Grandparents. 
       We moved to the largest town in the Ouachita Mountains, Mena. A town with a whopping population of approx. 6,000.  Hubby affectionately calls Mena, The Buckle of the Bible Belt. 

Bible Belt is an informal term for an area of the United States in which socially conservative evangelical Protestantism is a significant part of the culture and Christian church attendance across the denominations is extremely high. (to quote Wikipedia)

      In other words, the Bible Belt has a population of conservative thinking church goers. The Bible Belt area stretches from Texas to the eastern seaboard and as far north as Missouri, Kentucky, and Virginia. Mena sits just about in the middle of this area - hence the name, Buckle of the Bible Belt.

       While the people in this part of the South are still quite friendly and helpful, the familiarity we had experienced in Louisiana was not in evidence here. Rugged country and great distances between communities serve to isolate many of the residents of these areas. This isolation causes a closed way of thinking and a wariness of strangers.  And you thought Deliverance was just a movie.....

       I quickly realized that the "Good Ol' Boy Network" is alive and well. It's not how good you are at what you do that matters but who you know and who you are related to. The difference between social classes is very apparent. The wealthy feel like they are doing the poor a favor by employing them. And the poor are quite happy to work for piddling wages. People are comfortable with this arrangement because that's the way it's always been. Change and progress are not always welcomed or accepted. 

       I noticed that women are not always treated on an equal basis with men. I think this is due in part to the religions of this part of the South, many of which place restrictions on women. Now I may play the 'Dumb Broad ' on occasion but please don't insult me by assuming I have a low IQ just because I'm a woman. Hubby has had to rein me (my temper and my mouth) in on several occasions.

       There is still the sense of family and community, though not as strong as in the Cajun country. And the people of these Arkansas mountain hamlets will definitely come together in case of emergency or disaster, disregarding their differences. In 2009 when the town of Mena was hit by a tornado, over 600 homes were damaged or destroyed. For a month after the tornado, various churches would distribute free lunches, bottled water, and other essential items to those affected as well as to the volunteers assisting in clean-up and rebuilding. The local Mennonite men volunteered their construction expertise and rebuilt several homes. This combined effort helped strengthen the feeling of community in Mena. Unfortunately, that bond weakens over time.


       Before the economy took a nose dive, Mena had a fairly diverse economic system. It wasn't necessarily thriving but a variety of industries called the Mena area home - a small electric motor assembly plant, Tyson chicken farms and processing plant, numerous aircraft refurbishing businesses at the local airport, and quite a few classic car restoration shops. All these industries, and a few more, brought in outside dollars to the community, something which is vital if a town is going to  be vibrant and thriving. But, alas, a lot of these businesses are what are called 'luxury industries' - businesses that are dependent on people having throw away income. When that excess income dried up, so did the businesses dependent on it. And in a small town, it doesn't take but a few businesses to close to create a lot of lay-offs. And it doesn't take but a few lay-offs to strike a hard blow to a community's sense of Hope in the future.

Living in the South ~ Cajun Country ~ Lagniappe

Lagniappe ~ Cajun French for a little bit more.

I spoke in a recent post about how Cajuns celebrate everything. I'm sure you've all heard or know about Mardi Gras. And what a huge party that is!  But did you know that there is a Festival that takes place at least once a month, and once a week throughout the summer, somewhere in the state of Louisiana? These people know how to have a good time. The festivals celebrate everything from the Yam, to Rice, to Buggys, to Pirates. You name it and there is a Festival for it.
The town we lived in, Crowley, is known as the Rice Capital of America and is famous for The International Rice Festival. The Int'l Rice Festival is one of the largest and oldest agricultural festivals in the South, with over 100,000 people attending in a three day period. I had the distinction of being this Festival's organizer for three years. I learned a lot about special event planning. And this opportunity gave my OCD  organizational skills a chance to shine. Do you need an event planned for 75,000 to 100,000 people? I'm your girl!

I would also like to make note of something that I had not seen since my childhood. The way young kids are allowed to run and play without a lot of grown-up supervision. And yet there is supervision everywhere. Children mind all adults. (especially with the threat, "Don't make me tell your Momma!) And Adults look out for all children.

My long red hair was a source of amazement in south Louisiana. Red hair is a novelty down there because most of the people are of French ancestry and black or brown hair is dominant. Most women have short hair because of the heat and humidity - I'd wear mine in a bun in the summers. I had a lot of people come up to me and ask if they could touch my hair, especially children.

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed South Louisiana and felt like this was home, it wasn't long before the hot, humid summers really got to me. I'm not a real heat loving person. And the constant threat of hurricanes in the summer weighed upon us. We had experienced one hurricane while living there (Hubby had experienced more while growing up, but it was fun and games then) and it was a nerve racking experience. The torrential rains, the howling wind and the mini-tornadoes which are spawned from the hurricane are nothing to trifle with. And then the utter destruction in its aftermath. This was the first time I had seen such destruction and it was mind boggling. When I heard a news reporter say, "If you are not prepared to lose absolutley everything you have at least once a year (because of a hurricane), then you shouldn't be living in South Louisiana." I knew he spoke the truth and that we had to move. And well, being the Gypsies that we are, we began looking for another home.

Living in the South ~ Cajun Country ~ The People

Living in South Louisiana was quite an adventure. 
But an exciting and fulfilling one!

The Cajun people are warm and welcoming. I immediately felt at home, though I did have to get used to be called, Sugar or Honey. And then there was the touching and hugs and kisses (okay - air kisses). I wasn't used to that! You see I came from an area of the country (Colorado = cold and snow) where people didn't hug and kiss when they saw each other at the store. I guess it's kinda hard to get the full effect of a hug when you're bundled up in two or three layers of clothing. But I got used to it and now have come to expect it. I'm going to miss that familiarity. Maybe I can start a new trend back in Colorado. Or get arrested for assault!

The respect that Cajun children show their elders is something that is now lost in many other areas of the country. Children are taught from the time they can speak to call men Mister and women Miss (followed by the name of the person). I was always called Miss Jeanne. Doors were always held open for me. Made me feel like a Queen! I already miss this! I was raised to respect anyone older than me. To say Please and Thank You. To use Mister or Miss or Mrs. These things all seem to be lost in today's hurried world. Except in the Deep South. 

It was awhile before I could understand everything people were saying to me. I did a lot of smiling and nodding in the first few months. Not only is their accent heavy but French words are quite often thrown into a sentence. And then even those words aren't true French but a bastardized version of French - Cajun French. I seem to have picked up a bit of an accent from the time I spent there. Many people have come up to me and ask where I am from...that they just can't quite place my accent... I just smile at people when I'm ask this and say that I studied abroad....

The sense of Family is strong in the Cajun Culture. The families are large and quite often several generations will live within a few blocks or a few miles of each other. And even though they may argue and carry-on, they are always there for each other during troubled times. And this sense of Family even goes on to include those who aren't even blood relation. This was the first lesson The Universe wanted me to learn from living there.


The Cajun People also have Joie de Vivre. A Joy of Life. They celebrate everything!!! This Love of Life is ingrained in them. It is their heritage. All too frequently they must confront danger and disaster (tornadoes and hurricanes) so they make sure to enjoy the time they have. The Cajuns are a lively, happy people and when one is immersed in the culture like I was, you can't help but enjoy Life! This was the second lesson that I was to learn.


But there is a dark side to everything. Extremes can be seen in many aspects of Life in the South- From the (amount) food that is eaten to the liquor consumed. The division of social classes is still very evident. And people happily accept their 'place' in the social structure of their society. A great number of Cajuns living in rural areas have never been out of the town where they were born, raised, and currently live. And many have nothing more than an 8th grade education. Cajun French is still the only language spoken in many remote areas. And you still hear about people going missing in the swamp....