The billboard on the way to the restaurant advertised for a business named Giga-Byte-Me.  Clever and at the same time, demonstrating just a bit of what I might describe as the kind of tackiness one might expect in certain parts of the country.  We were headed to dinner with my in-laws at a local place they frequent and we were all in because we’re always looking for fun little places to try out.  Named after the owner, the place was like going to someone’s house.  Obviously originally built as another business, it had been converted to a bargain basement version of Cracker Barrel, various knick knacks covering the wood paneled walls and window sills.  The tablecloths were a combination of red and white gingham and a french country design, about twelve in all, with those uncomfortable red banquet chairs you see in banquet halls.

I should admit right away that after having been brought up the way I was, I can be a bit of a – well I might as well say it – snob.  A well meaning snob, much as I would describe my dad, both of us having champagne tastes on beer budgets, but never, ever wanting to hurt people’s feelings, just wanting to make things “better”.  We both just happened to be lovers of cities and did not have the opportunity to experience a more rural setting. I share this because I have to really work to leave my preconceived notions at the door knowing how judgemental I can be.  A work in progress, so I hope you won’t judge.  But I caught myself spending time looking at the mismatched plates on the tables, the mug of coffee given to my son that said “Oh, no, the big 5-0” and the blue plastic cups.  The food on the menu was what I would call very southern with a lot of menu items described as “fried”.  A sign on the wall said “Sweet Tea – Wine of the South” and so that was a must to order along with my hot brown.  Quaint and eclectic to say the least.

The patrons were obviously locals, enjoying a meal with their friends and families with the owners walking among their customers engaging in conversations, refilling glasses and making sure everyone had what they needed.  Nothing fancy, but truly genuine, people doing what they loved doing.  My in-laws are wonderful people, humble and living simply, caring more about others than themselves.  We had spent another evening  going out to a local Burger King with them and Doug’s aunt and uncle.  They all have a weekly date together, going nowhere fancy but getting together gift cards and coupons to see what they can get that night, laughing together at silly jokes and stories and sharing simple food.  It challenges me to see things in a different way, to not be so shallow in terms of what I think is important and change how I perceive others.

Now, this is going to sound really hypocritical here, but it’s just this type of place that gives people the wrong impression about the south and it makes me slightly crazed.  To those who live in other parts of the country, particularly on the coasts, the south is just what I described at the beginning.  The perception is that the south consists of tacky hillbillies, rednecks, camo, wood paneling on the walls and fried foods.  The assumption that the people are uneducated and uninformed.  Breaking news; this is NOT the case.  Those same in-laws who were satisfied with a simple meal at a tiny, local restaurant are also the same people who worked hard, own their home and land, ran a successful business, and raised three great kids.  They are well versed in what is happening politically and culturally and are very outspoken about what they think about it.  They are the very heart of this country, and so, I find myself defending the very thing that I tend to judge myself.

It’s all in what we choose to see without the perceptions.  It’s looking past the cover to see the book inside.  It’s discovering how much blood, sweat and tears a person has shed to create their version of the American dream.  The last time I looked, blood, sweat and tears weren’t pretty.  And sometimes, that dream consists of paneled walls and mismatched dishes because that’s just where we are right now.  Maybe it’s the dream of creating a simple place where people can come and relax and enjoy good food with friends and family.  And maybe it’s creating a computer repair service called Giga-Byte-Me, bringing their talents to help the people of their community keep working and learning.  Still not sure about the name however, so I suppose I’ll just have to keep working on shedding my judgemental ways.