I’m not a big fan of network television. I watch a lot of shows on the History and Discovery Channels, and spend numerous hours watching Premier League Soccer. (The main reason we have the cable package we do is so we can watch British football.)
Remember how I mentioned that I live with two men, outnumbered and sorely lacking female conspirators? That is undeniably true when it concerns control of the television remote. There are some shows I like that my menfolk don’t – think SyFy and BBCAmerica. Fortunately, I can watch these shows online during the work week when the menfolk are out of the house.
When I exhaust my to-watch list and want some other distraction/entertainment, I eye-guzzle shows on Amazon Prime. I ran through the second season of Bosch in one day and caught up on my Dr. Who incarnations. Now, I’m overdosing on the six seasons of the FX show, Justified. The show is set in Kentucky.
The show is like watching old home movies – only the part about being in the South, not the gratuitous sex, drugs and violence. Most of the characters have a distinctive southern drawl, a speech pattern that I’ve consciously worked to overcome during my 20 years living in Florida.
Even though it is the southernmost of the contiguous United States, I don’t think of Florida as a genuine SOUTHERN state, a state that has the Appalachian mountains as a backdrop. (I grew up in the shadow of the Smoky Mountains, and can “shucks” and “y’all” with the best of them.) Hell, the highest point in the whole Sunshine State is only 349 feet above sea level. The highest point in Tennessee is Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet. One football field versus 22 football fields, it’s no contest.
This show, Justified, has the same effect on me as returning home to visit kinfolk. The longer I’m within the borders of Tennessee (or watching the show), the slower my speech becomes, I drop my r’s, and there is a particular twang to my words. I recognize that it’s happening, and I am both amused and annoyed.
After I finish this marathon, I’ll need to watch something set in New York or California to reboot my elocution.
“There are stars
In the Southern sky
Southward as you go
There is moonlight
And moss in the trees
Down the Seven Bridges Road”
~ Steve Young, “Seven Bridges Road.” Rock Salt and Nails. 1969
This week’s word is:
South
Using “south” for inspiration, write 100 Words – no more, no less – then add a link back here from your post. (A pingback is like bread crumbs, it helps your readers find the other 100 Word stories, and it’s nice to share.) If you don’t have a blog, you can leave your submission in the comment section, or as a Facebook post. Remember to keep spreading the love with supportive comments for your fellow wordsters.
Thin spiral notebook 
I was pleased to find your charming challenge. I’m posting my take on the word here and on my WordPress page. Thank you for allowing me to participate!
Migration word count: 100
Written by Kerry E.B. Black
As the winter of her life approached, Beatrice saw the reason behind migratory birds’ flights. Flee the bitter cold of the North, the treacherous ice and its accomplice, snow, deceptive and beautiful, like diamonds collected on tree branches, frosting the world like an enormous cake, making skating rinks of walkways and roads. She stocked up on necessities to prevent the need to drive. Since Denny’s death, she rarely ventured out. Perhaps it would be different if she, too, migrated, left the North to the hearty and, like the birds in their v-formations, made a new home in the sunny South.
https://kerrylizblack.wordpress.com/2016/04/20/migration/
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I had some trouble thinking what to write for this one, but here’s the final result. Hope you enjoy:
https://imagenn793.wordpress.com/2016/04/18/100-word-challenge-south
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I have the opposite issues, being outnumbered, we went shopping this weekend.
I wrote.
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We went shopping too – Home Depot.
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Well, evidently, I wasn’t to relate my little anecdote. Silly laptop.
So, I actually wrote this week, and we’ll leave it at that.
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South. What an inspiration. I’m just returning North to Alaska after spending two months in the south. A few days in San Francisco, a Caribbean cruise, a few weeks in Florida walking some marvelous beaches as well as seeing the elusive Roseate Spoonbill, and a few weeks in Arizona riding my motorcycle, visiting with friends and taking in Arizona Bike Week. But it’s time to go home and get back to reality. I’m retired. People ask why I need a vacation. I’m on vacation every day. Not really. But I will say that every day is Saturday. Retirement does rock.
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I would love to one day visit Alaska. I have friends who live there, and my dad and step-mom went on an Alaskan cruise several years ago that they still rave about.
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and, mine is up. 🙂 Thanks, Tara.
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The accent thing happens to me when I watch shows from Colombia/visit family on vacation. My Spanish is virtually accent-less until I’m exposed to more native speakers lol.
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“Justified” is awesome. Glad you discovered it! And yes…I’ll bet the accent came right back!
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And of course, Timothy Olyphant is easy on the eyes.
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Ha, Ha! I agree…have you seen him on The Grinder? He plays himself and makes fun of being a “sex symbol”. 🙂
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The Grinder may be my next marathon, thanks.
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