Reports from someone else’s homeland

My mom called me at work the other day. My parents are visiting relatives down south right now, so when my mom called me long distance in the middle of the day, I thought for sure someone was dead. Thankfully, she was just calling to tell me that The Help isn’t racist and that it just depicts a racist situation. I’d heard some bad things about The Help, which really put me off wanting to read it. Apparently my mom thought this was eating me up inside and felt the need to let me know right away, pretty much as they were leaving the theatre.

She sent me an email with things she’s seen around during her visit so far. She’s really not one for taking pictures, but she does have an almost eidetic memory, even at 61.  

Bumper sticker: Jesus is Lord, not a swear word

On the side of an auto body shop: Serving you and the Lord

Billboard:  Jesus fish, with the words "Do you know I love you? I do"

Billboard: "Who's the father?" to advertise just that service [at least they got the punctuation right].

Billboard: picture of Obama with the words "It's we the people, not you the president"

At the Decatur Farmers' Market: one of those universal "no" signs on the door, forbidding handguns.

Cute story:Aunt Janet ate lunch with her grandson and stepgrandchildren one day. One of the kids whose grandmother wasn't there asked if Janet could be his grandma. Jayden said, "She's my NANA. She's got 12 guns and 15 tattoos, and she's my nana." [My Aunt Janet is the one who pulled a gun on someone who broke into her house once.]