Rural Life
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Day 11 – 720 Words
Alright, back in the groove. Writing today was less challenging. One reason was that included a ton of country music lyrics. In academic writing I see so many people shaming people who quote directly from other writers. I understand the need to prove that you can interpret a work and not just directly quote it, Continue reading
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Day 10 – 508 Words
I haven’t posted on the blog for a few days. It was a mix of being tired and the content I was writing about. Having to write about film and TV depictions of rural life is hard. Particularly, writing about the way both comedy and horror distort rural life, often from the perspective of the Continue reading
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Day 6 – 615 Words
This morning I drove into Charlotte to volunteer with my Charlotte FC supporters group at Second Harvest Food Bank. I was late. It was mostly my fault, but I will blame the wreck in Lincoln County for at least five minutes of my lateness. Our job was sorting food donations. I have never seen so Continue reading
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Day 5 – 571 Words
Today’s writing came in three parts. It involved research. And didn’t prioritize it like I have for the past few days. But I got it done. This is a reminder to re-prioritize. I got distracted by the endless emails, the news, the Twitter bird, and the needs that could have waited. Still, I got it Continue reading
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Day 4 – Ash Wednesday – 879 Words
It’s Ash Wednesday. It’s a relatively new observance in my tradition, but I like it. It is both a reminder of mortality and a sign that spring is on its way. I have my windows at home and in my office open. I wrote quite a bit today, and the introduction is coming together. I Continue reading
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Day 3 – 713 Words
This morning I received messages from someone who needed several things from me because of something someone else needed from them. It was an issue that was no fault of my own, and I let the person know I was working on a couple other things first. I prioritized my writing and creative work. I Continue reading
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Sanctified Gossip
The story of the woman at the well from John Chapter 4 is a story I used to find annoying. I think, because it was an overdone story about Jesus being Jesus. It gets overused as a salvation story for a way of life that is no longer feels like an issue. Women, in general, Continue reading
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It bears repeating…
One thing rural communities rely on is repetition. Repetition creates consistency, memory, and tradition. This repetition matters, whether it is football of Fridays in the fall, the festival on the first weekend of May, or knowing who to call when someone in the community dies to get the prayer and meal train going. I’ve learned Continue reading
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Death and Deviled Eggs
A few years ago, I was on my way to a funeral. An in person, non-masking, church member funeral with a receiving of friends, a service, and committal. Funerals remind me of funerals, the same way this Christmas will remind you of last Christmas. So many of the practices are the same. At this funeral, Continue reading
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Summertime Update
Does anyone else have seasonal playlists? I have a summertime sooth playlist filled with chill country music. I built it last year while I was tearing out walls in the basement before the basement waterproofing team sealed the cinderblock walls. It includes, of course, the song “Summertime” by Orville Peck. I discovered Orville Peck through Continue reading
Jonathan LeMaster-Smith 