southern accents

This week I did something I thought I'd never do. Of course, months leading into it, I knew I was going to do it, but it was still a bit surreal once I got there. I was on a military base. I went to Fort Benning, Georgia.

My brother joined the Army Reserve. Unbelievable, I know. I don't support militarism, I don't support the president (in anything he does), and I certainly don't support the war in Iraq or any other pending invasions. So when my brother did this, there was nothing I could do. I had to support my brother's decision to make a change in his life (yes, he really needed it). So when Louis's graduation from basic combat training ("don't call it 'boot camp'") fell during my Spring Break, I promised to go. And I'm glad I did.

When I first got there and saw the crowd of military uniforms, knowing my brother was one of them, I started to cry. How could this be happening? But I see positive changes in Louis. He takes his responsibility seriously. He looked good in his Class A's ("the pickle suit") and his ACUs ("don't call them 'fatigues'"). I trust that he can come visit me alone and we won't have any serious issues.

I also learned how to navigate Columbus, Georgia, where there was nothing to do. But they do have a Dairy Queen and no less than three Sonics! We went to the Columbus Museum, which is mostly art with a section on regional history. Let's just say I was not impressed with their treatment of slavery, the Civil War, or race relations (that last part was completely absent). But what can I expect? I also saw some store selling Southern heritage paraphernalia that uses the Confederate flag.