And What Came of It

Dear John,

 

Today I paid for all that marching around town yesterday. I drank as much as I could before the parade but couldn't drink during it. I hit the Gatorade when I got home. But apparently it wasn't enough - heat and dehydration hit me this afternoon and I've felt awful all day. Thanks to lots more Gatorade, I am finally feeling human. But I did have a wonderful time getting this way, so it's all okay.

 

Fireworks went on well into the wee hours of this morning so we didn't get to sleep until after 3 AM. We all slept in this morning and took a couple of naps this afternoon. Nobody is showing any signs of reluctance about going back to bed now.

 

I have good news and interesting news. First, the US women won the World Cup. It was played in Vancouver so there were plenty of American fans there to celebrate. The interesting news is NASCAR. Talladega was covered with Confederate flags today. They offered to give everybody American flags if they'd turn in their Confederate ones, and the latest news is that only three people took them up on it. I wondered how the NASCAR fans would react to being told to leave their flags at home. It will be interesting watching how this plays out.

 

It strikes me, though, that this controversy could be a good thing. You know I've bemoaned for years the co-opting of that flag by racists and white supremacists. Well, right now, those of us who love it for the right reasons are getting our chance to speak out. It's an opportunity to educate northerners about what it really stands for. And we are busy reclaiming it. I believe the north will also get an education about southern stubbornness and loyalty, and what happens when you push us too far.

 

You know well my stubbornness and love me anyway - thank you for that! I'm normally peaceable and law-abiding, but can be otherwise when I'm pushed too far on matters of principle. I still might have to build that rain barrel. I'll keep you posted.

 

Sleep well there, where nobody argues about flags and there are no cars driving in circles and making left turns. And pray for us down here, where we still have things to wrangle about.

 

Adore you stubbornly,

Joan.