Election Day; or, Papa, What’s a poll tax?

Election Day was always a traumatic event around our house. Even though I was so little at the time, I knew that something important was going on. Never mind the fact that everyone we knew in our conservative, straight-laced little town voted a straight Republican ticket every year, there always seemed to be drama involved.
Usually it started at dinner (known as “lunch” in some parts of the country). Grandfather would announce that today was The Day. Then the same comments that would become a tradition would begin. Continue reading

Happy family reunion, or, how to get in trouble without really trying

Little girl with a pan of corn #children #corn #summer #girls

A family reunion and a platter of corn on the cob earned me a reputation as a terrible dinner guest. Maybe I was, but in my defense I was only three or four years old at the time and my social graces were limited. Nevertheless, you would have thought I’d managed to violate every code of Southern honor and Emily Post rule of etiquette that ever existed. But maybe I’d better tell you what happened. Continue reading