Mississippi Magic

I came across this on my sisters blog. It was written by a teacher that we had in High School. This article says a lot about the state in which I was born, and the state which I love. Mississippi is a place of magic that only one who has a connection with it can appreciate. She has a sad, tragic history. She is so often berated, picked on, and dismissed. But she is a place with culture (yes, culture), history, love, tragegy, and most of all magic!


"Mississippi Magic"


Mississippi is a place, Mississippi is a people. But most of all, Mississippi is a spirit.
It is a land of enchantment that casts a spell over visitors and natives, both young and old.
Its' scenic bayous, sandy beaches, and untouched small towns are the stuff of which dreams
are made, as well as Hollywood movies. In this one state beats the heart of the Mighty
Mississippi River as it carries steamboats and barges to the Gulf Stream waters.
Wherever I plant my feet in this great state, I can feel the magic of our enchanted land. Standing on the battlefields of Vicksburg with my eyes closed, I can feel the tragedy and
heartbreak of a time best remembered only in history books. As I follow the Natchez trace, I can hear the drums of our American natives as they followed a trail of tears from their land
of magic... only these people know why the the Pascagoula sings, or the Nanawoyhaa reaches to
the sky.
Only in Mississippi does music float thru the air with Elvis' rock and roll, Jimmy Rodgers' yodel and the throaty blues of B.B. King. The books and poetry of Mississippi writers tell of a people and place filled with magic. Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner and
John Grisham have captured the essence of Mississippi enchantment.
The smell of cape jasmine and honeysuckle, the winds off the still waters and the creak of the old porch swing will always keep the magic in Mississippi.

Where I'm From

Many of you reading this will get through scratching their heads, but some of you will recognize exactly everything I speak of.


I am from the rolling hills of the Pine Belt, from Browning shotguns, John Deere tractors, and grape soda.

I am from the big house in Agricola, riding horses, working cows, cutting grass and jumping in the pool, driving at the age of 8, crawfish boils, Delta hunting trips and working till dark.

I am from the magnolias, the crepe myrtles, the azaleas and all other fauna that made up our "little" flower beds.

I am from cemetery cleaning, MSU football games, Sunday afternoon westerns, green eyes, big hands and curly hair, from Johnny and Prissy, Pawpaw, Mimi, Granny, Pa-Pa, Na-Ma and Maw-Maw, from the O'Neals, Hattens, Davis, Greens, Lowerys, Chathams and Patricks.

I am from the stubborn, hard-headed, compassionate, hard-working, silly, determined, and opinionated.

From Ready Kilowatt, mysterious make-believe lands of my sisters, Sambo and Pa-pa's " Lion attack Scar", from Confederate and Southern pride and heritage.

I am from Buffy, Whiskers, O.J., Katie, Steve, Duchess, Trigger, Ginger, and Shelby, from cows I know by name, and rat killin cats.

I am from the Southern Baptists and their old time religion and Sunday morning Sing-A-Longs.

I'm from Mississippi, Scotland and Ireland. I'm from the Revolutionary War, the War of Northern Aggression, World Wars I & II, from rice and gravy and more gravy.

From the Sears toilet, Sinclair and Pi the Pirate, from the man who band directors fear but also mentored so many and the city girl in the house with white columns who snuck out of windows to avoid certain dates.

I am from the Other Place, the Property, the Gunter Place, the West Place, the Upper Pasture, the back 40 and way back yonder.

I am from Subway parking lot on Saturday nights, field parties, football practice, Friday night lights, mudding in the Bronco and "making the loop" .

I am from South Mississippi where every town bears a different seed and branch of me.

I am from good hard-working people with traditions old and new, from sorrow and joy, from loss and rebirth, I am from love and that's the only way I'd have it.

Getting to Know You

1. FIRST NAME? John
2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Yes. I was named after my Dad( he is a Jr) and my grandfather who has the same name and is named after his grandfather.
3. FAVORITE "ROMANTIC" SONG? hmmm not too sure. Maybe some old Conway Twitty
4. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Don't know. It has been several years
5. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? I really don't pay that much attention to it. I know it is messy, but it is uniquely mine, so I guess that I like it.
6. WHAT IS YOU FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? Cajun roast beef
7. KIDS? Not yet
8. WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yes
9. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? No
10. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? yes
11. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes.
12. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? I'd love to
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? I don't eat cereal
14. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Not usually
15. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Sure
16. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Vanilla ( I know I'm plain)
17. SHOE SIZE? 10-11
18. RED OR PINK? Red
19. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? That I tend to disagree with people strongly ( I am VERY opinionated). That I can sometimes be a difficult person to get along with.
20. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Charlie
21. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? sure
22. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES YOU ARE WEARING? Blue jeans and boots
23. LAST THING YOU ATE? A #1 from Burger King..King sized
24. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? A burnt CD with a lot of old school Widespead Panic songs on it.
25. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Bright Blue
26. FAVORITE SMELL? The outdoors.
27. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Teasley
28. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? Eyes!
29. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Well yeah she's my sister!
30. FAVORITE DRINK? non-alcoholic- Root beer; alcoholic- Old Charter and Sprite or Gin and Tonic
31. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? College Football or Nascar
32. HAIR COLOR? Dark Brown
33. EYE COLOR? Hazel
34. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Nope
35. FAVORITE FOOD? Rice and Gravy
36. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Happy ending
37. FAVORITE HYMN? "How Great Thou Art" or "Because He Lives"
38. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Yellow Polo
39. PLAY AN INSTRUMENT? I used to play the piano, and I am sort of teaching my self the guitar
40. HUGS OR KISSES? Kisses
41. FAVORITE MOVIE? Tombstone
42. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Don't know.
43. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Don't know.
44. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? The Greatest Salesman in the World
45. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Mississippi State University
46. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? I watch the History Channel so much that it is sick, but I did watch Batman Begins yesterday afternoon
47. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Bacon Frying or good live music
48. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? I think I am more of a Rolling Stones kind of guy, but I do like the Beatles
49. THE FURTHEST YOU BEEN FROM HOME? California
50. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Not really sure if you would call talking a talent but that would be it. I can talk to anyone about anything for any amount of time. I can also burp the alphabet (My sister Jennifer taught me that one)
51. WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? July 24, 1982 in Hattiesburg, MS
52. SIBLINGS? 2 sisters
53. HEELS OR FLATS? Well I'm a guy and I always wear boots, and boots have heels, so I am going to say heels
54. SWEET OR UNSWEET TEA? Super Sweet
55. SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE? I can speak broken spanish ( just enough to know what the immigrant workers on jobsites are talking about)

Local Legend "The Singing River"

The Pascagoula River, located in George and Jackson counties, is known as one of the last "wild rivers". It is home to many rare breeds of birds and miles upon miles of undisturbed habitat. It is also home to a very interesting and unique story, the story of the Singing River.

In Southern Mississippi the Pascagoula River is locally known as the Singing River. Many area schools, churches, hospitals, banks, and countless other businesses have the name Singing River somehow attached to it. The legend has been around for hundreds of years. In fact, it was here when the first settlers came to this region in the late 1600's. When they first explored the area they noticed long abandoned Indian settlements on the banks of the great river. There was no sign of the inhabitants. The Pascagoula Indians were extinct. This old legend explains the disappearance of the Indian tribe.

In coastal Mississippi in times long ago there were two tribes of Indians. There were the peaceful Pascagoula "bread eaters" and the warring Biloxi "first people". The two tribes lived peacefully in the same area. Anola the princess of the Biloxi (thought to be betrothed to the chieftain of her people) fell in love with Altama, prince of the Pascagoula. This love was taboo with the Biloxi and to further outrage the Biloxi she ran away with Altama and joined the Pascagoula. The Biloxi, not to be disgraced by the Pascagoula let it be known that war with the Pascagoula was immanent. The Pascagoula, being a peaceful tribe, knew that they had no chance against the skilled Biloxi, and would face death and slavery if they went to war. The chief of the Pascagoula offered himself as a sacrifice to the Biloxi, to no avail; the damage had already been done. So instead of succumbing to the Biloxi's the Pascagoula's decided that their fate was theirs and theirs alone. With their women and children leading the way into the River, the braves followed with joined hands, each chanting his song of death, until the last voice was hushed by the dark engulfing waters. When the Biloxi's came to annihilate their foes the only sign of them were footprints leading into the river. No Pascagoula Indian was ever seen again. If you happen to be on the river in late summer/early autumn at dusk you can hear the Indians death song. The music, according to the hundreds of people who have heard it, sounds like a swarm of bees in flight. Barely caught at first, the music seems to grow nearer and louder until it sounds as though it comes from directly under foot. Many scientists have traveled to the river with hopes of explaining the singing, some have offered hypothetical scientific explanation, but none have been proven.

If you have never been to the Pascagoula River it is one of the most unique rivers in North America. Its wild, mostly undisturbed beauty is something that is rarely seen in an area that is as populated as the Mississippi Coast. Click on the link in the title of this article to see some examples of this unique river.