My Current View - Red Dirt Roads

Red dirt roads. It sounds like the title of a country song. I think it is the title of a county song. It seems like a fairytale to most folks. If you threw a dart at a map, you'd probably hit a state where people have never driven on red dirt roads. Until recently, I had never travelled a red dirt road. But that all changed in May. I moved to Florida. And around here, it's all white sand or red dirt roads. Literally. Only the main roads are paved.

Here's the thing about these red dirt roads. They all have names. They are named after brave Generals of old wars and great southern authors. And they have road signs just like regular roads. Because around here, these are the regular roads. They all show up on the GPS. People live down them and drive them every day to and from town. And not just one people...many people.

Along these red dirt roads is water. Lots of water. I cannot say for certain that there are gators in these waters, but I won't be jumping in to find out. The trees grow up out of the middle of these ponds and rivers, bringing to life all the movies I've ever seen about people being murdered in the deep south. They are spooky during the day and downright creepy after dark. I drive the red dirt roads during daylight hours only.

I'm sure that's because I’m “not from around here" as they say. Every little grocery store and gas station I go into, someone says to me "you're not from around here, are you?" To which I smile and reply “no.”

The locals take it upon themselves to welcome me in true southern hospitality style, with a smile and a slow draw. They tell me the best place to eat lunch. The best place to buy feed for my cows. The roadside stand with the best boiled peanuts. They tell how to make authentic southern sweet tea (2 cups of sugar per gallon of tea seems to be the local recipe). And they tell me to "watch out for them gators". I'm never certain if they are referring to their state's most beloved sports team or if they mean actual alligators. Like the ones with 80 razor sharp teeth. You know, the ones with the enlarged medulla oblongata that cause them to be mean… just for fun. I just play it safe and watch out for both, the sports team and the reptiles.

This is Florida. The Panhandle to be more specific. There are more lizards than people. Sweating is the national past time. There are trees and possibly gators in every pool of water. The roads are not paved. They are made of red dirt, packed down by the daily commute of people that call this place home. The tea is super sweet and so are the locals.

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