G&G: Made For Me!

We all have moments in our life where we discover small things about who we are. Each of us have our own interests and hobbies that make us tick and, normally, the explanation behind the attraction that draws us to certain things is something deeply embedded in our personalities. I feel that one's unique personality is developed through a combination of genetics and experiences. I, for example, was born loving animals. Even as a youngster, my mom's border collie was the most fitting pillow for my toddler head, and it was no surprise that my first word was 'dog' and my first love was a horse named Trigger. Over the years I've experienced things such as music and fashion and found myself drawn to certain aspects of each. As a young woman in her twenties, I still am going through the process of finding out exactly who I am and what I want from my life, and it's the small moments and events which have helped guide me along the way....

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It was a typical Wednesday afternoon a few years back. At the time I was living in Charlotte, NC and working at a rural high shool outside of Indian Trail, NC. Each afternoon I made the stop-and-go drive down Highway 74, which eventually led me back to my Randolph Road apartment just minutes from the booming metropolitan of uptown Charlotte. The thirty minute drive home most often involved frequent periods of frustration and road rage similar to those I currently deal with daily on Raleigh's Capital Boulevard. I've never been much of a "city girl" and if there's anything I dread most, it's traffic. Not only are slow drivers and bumper-to-bumper traffic jams annoying-- the stop and go puts some heavy wear and tear on a car!

On this particular day, I was stuck in traffic with an accident some five miles up the road. Instead of sitting in the congestion and watching pedestrians pass by at a much faster pace, I decided to stop at a mom and pop's auto shop that was right off the highway. My oil change was way past due, (which is no surprise given my already established, "I'll think about that tomorrow" way of thinking) plus, sitting in a waiting room with a television and magazines sounded much more appealing than my current position behind a mini-van with a messed up carburetor and six kids bouncing around in the backseat.

I entered the waiting room with a handful of others who were likely happy to have escaped the traffic outside, and found a seat beside a table of magazines. I glanced down to see if there was a selection from the pile that might interest me. My hand shifted through "Consumer Reports", "Popular Mechanics", and "Family Circle" magazines. Eh, no thank you. Just as I was about to pull out my phone for an entertaining game of Brick Breaker, a magazine across the room caught my eye. The cover pictured one of my many beloved country artists, Miranda Lambert and the title, Garden&Gun immediately stuck a cord with me.

Little did I know at the time, but I had just discovered what was to shortly become an item on "Abby's List of Favorite Things." I perused the cover which previewed articles such as "The Perfect Bloody Mary" and "The Lost Confederados." Those articles, however, would have to wait because I initially was drawn to the magazine for no other reason than to find out some interesting facts about the Texan Miranda Lambert. The piece about Miranda was well written and just the perfect escape from the city and traffic I had been dealing with just moments earlier. I could not wait to read more! My next stop was, "Lost Confederados", which was a magnificent article about descendants of Civil War era Southerners who had escaped the late 1800s South and became refugees to Brazil. These are a group of people who have held on to their southern heritage and still to this day celebrate and embrace the "Dixie Land" traditions. Time passed quickly as I absorbed the pages of the magazine that calls it self, 'The Soul of the South'. After my car was ready to go, I left the auto shop feeling rejuvenated after what could best be described as an escape to southern culture. The traffic jam had cleared and I continued on to retire back to my apartment in the city, where I would arrive home, open my computer, and order a one year subscription to Garden&Gun Magazine.

Every two months I anxiously await for the arrival of the new issue of G&G. It never fails that there's some recipe, designer, or musician I find between it's pages which seem to have been catered specifically for myself. It just so happens that the most current issue's cover story stars the artists of a band I've been following for years, The Avett Brothers. The instant I realized that one of my favorite bands had been combined with one of my favorite magazines, I was chomping at the bit to see what angle the G&G writers had taken to showcase the North Carolina native musicians. Well, the angle was perfect. The tag line: "When the music stops, there’s no place they'd rather be than their N.C. home."  

While reading the article, I made a connection with my favorite 'band of brothers' which I had not previously made through their music and lyrics. The eldest of the two brothers, Scott Avett was quoted in the article, stating,  “I just want to live someplace modest, and North Carolina is home. The chains that I thought were holding me back were actually arms that brought me back when I wanted them to.” It's no wonder that I'm drawn to the magazine and I'm drawn to the band. It's like they both understand me, and help me understand who I am. I certainly am no musician, and could not imagine what it would be like to perform in front of thousands of fans as the Avett Brothers do, however, I too frequently find myself each day being more drawn torward modesty and the simplicity of 'Small Town USA'.

At one point in my youth I could not wait to escape the chains that held me down in the small town of Seagrove, NC. As Jason Aldean's song states, "I need to get out of this church pew or bar stool kinda town..."  I guess that's the normal way of thinking while living in the boonies during one's teenage years. Nevertheless, as time has passed, I've found small things here and there which have all gradually shown me that it's really the simple things in life I desire most. Although I'm not quite ready to pack up and head out of the city just yet (I still have some unfinshed self-searching to accomplish), I do know that I'd now much rather spend my Saturday morning on horseback than hungover! Some may view this as maturity, but I'd like to think my gradual desire to eventually escape traffic jams and late night parties has more to do with me discovering who I am, and hopefully, someday finding out what I really want from this life of mine.

For some it could be a big city loft apartment, a spacious suburb home, or a luxurious beach house... or maybe it's shopping for those designer jeans, watching a favorite sports team, or walking big city streets with a Starbucks coffee in hand... we all have different things that make us tick. As for me, I hope to someday find myself sitting on a big front porch swing staring out into a field with no neighbors in sight for miles. All I'd really need is a garden for the growin', and a gun for the huntin', someplace modest, that's one thing I know I want. The moment I discovered that magazine I knew it fit my personality, and in certain ways, it has been an experience that's helped show me some of the things I enjoy most in life.
GARDEN & GUN: SOUL OF THE SOUTH (and Abby too...)