Appalachian Folk have Their Own Way
As I was driving home from delivering supplies to aid the victims of Hurricane Helene in my hometown of West Jefferson, NC, I called my best friend, KJ, because I needed to talk to the same guy that I walked shoulder to shoulder while growing up in the Blue Ridge. At first, I shared with him about all the carnage scattered throughout those hollers. I shared stories of wives slipping through the grip of their husbands as rushing water and mud relentlessly flowed through our childhood home. Out of shear necessity the conversation turned to the precious memories that normally frequent our conversations.
We both laughed as we discussed the dialect that is unique to our home in the Appalachians. The people of Ashe County share peculiar words and phrases that now make me so proud. I remember growing up and wanting nothing else than to rid my vocabulary of those words and phrases because I wanted to be heard by others in the world. Life is funny that way. When you’re young, you want to fit in and “be like everyone else”. However, when you grow up, you see the beauty in being unique.
I told him that my cousin, Will Taylor, texted me letting me know that he was going to help me unload the supplies so graciously donated by my beloved Davie Community with Davie Construction and Rise Indoor Sports heading the collection up.
He asked me, “Do you want me to meet you at the top of the mountain”?
Of course, I knew exactly where he was talking about down to the exact coordinates. Yet inside I chuckled thinking how no one else outside of my Ashe County friends and family would have a clue what he was talking about. This whole tragedy has led me to fall in love with my home in a way that I have never felt. Yes, we have phrases and words unfamiliar to the rest of the world, but that just adds to the beauty of those majestic mountains.
Now when I hear words like “britches”, “young’uns”, and “fixin” and phrases like “cut a shine” and “you young’uns better mind what I say”, I beam with pride. You see, I know that those same people are unique for way more than just their dialect. We’re strong. We love our friends and family with a fierceness unlike any other group of people in the world. If you don’t believe me, you are welcome to go see the response to this tragedy. We are taking care of our own.
Right now, my 80-year-old uncle Herman Cox aka “Coog” is staying with his sister, Brenda aka “Peep”. Yes, my family have some funny nicknames. No way, we’re letting him go to some shelter. I know in my own life I feel like I was raised by my entire family. My aunt Peep took me to see the ocean for the first time when I was eleven. My cousin Kim Simmons has always inspired me to pursue higher education, and always offering me words of wisdom and encouragement.
KJ is joining me Friday to deliver another load of supplies to Ashe County. All I can think about is the two boys that we were growing up in the Blue Ridge. We dreamed so big, and we never doubted each other no matter the magnitude of those dreams. My favorite dream that we shared was him one day becoming a Senator that was actually for the people with me running his campaign and becoming chief of staff. He’s the one man on earth that I have no problem serving because I see a God-given gift inside him that allows him to naturally bring out the best in everyone that he encounters. I can’t wait to return to our home together now two men simply wanting to give back to the community that forged us.
Those mountains, that community, and those people forged our friendship that is unique to only us. Our blood that we shed on a certain Rock by the river on that sandy shoal establishing a lifetime commitment to always be there for each other with a love so grand that there is no way of defining with the English language is the love and commitment that we are bringing to our friends and family. We are both devastated by what has happened to our home.
Now all we can do is shed light on the destruction. We also want to shed light on the exact people that need your help which is the reason for my recent writing. If you want to help, here’s what we have going on:
· You can donate to our fund set to go straight to the Ashe Food Pantry that we are closing out tonight to get them paid: https://gofund.me/22815fbc
· We are collecting supplies locally in Davie County at Rise Indoor Sports and Davie Construction
· Supplies needed:
o C and D batteries
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o Diapers
o Adult diapers (medium especially needed)
o Lighters or matches
o Small camping propane cylinders
o Buckets
o Boxes
o Water
o Nonperishable food
o Generators
o Chain saws
o Pet food
· ATVs, Side by Sides, Jeeps, etc for search and rescue:
o Creston Fire Department 336–385–6500
o Pond Mountain Fire Department 336–385–6090
· Contact as many media outlets as possible to shed light
· Call the politicians you know and tell them Ashe County needs help
· Pray
KJ and I will see all of our family and friends in the Blue Ridge shortly.
