Mitzi Byars (mitabyar@mars.utm.edu) from 10.100.9.8 at 10/25/01 11:39PM
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    My dad’s side of the family is the typical group of “hicks”. I have a cousin named Jim Bob and another one that we call Lil’ David, if that tells you anything. Just a couple weeks ago we had a little get-together at my grandmother’s house. We had the usual barbeque, baked beans, cole slaw, and pecan pie, but afterwards came the entertainment. Music has been in my dad’s side of the family forever. My dad’s two sisters can sing and so can my grandmother, while my dad’s younger brother plays the mandolin. Lil’ David plays the banjo, my dad plays the guitar, and my brother plays the fiddle. We have our own little bluegrass band! We just sit around and listen to them play songs like “Thank God I’m A Country Boy”, “Dooley”, “Dueling Banjo’s”, and “Old Joe Clark”. While they are in the middle singing “Grandma’s Feather Bed” my Aunt Debby got out a pair of spoons and started playing them! If that’s not a Southern family I don’t know what is. I’ve learned that being a “hick” isn’t so bad; it’s part of who I am. But the closeness of the family is very tight and that’s what I think makes a Southern family.