Today I noticed...I really like a southern voice.

The other day I was scrolling through social media on my phone and stumbled across a southern author's post. I had heard of this author and had even read several recommendations for books she has written. I never read any of those recommended options because I didn't really think it would be something that would hold my attention and be what I consider a good read. 

Yet, here was this southern author speaking my exact thoughts about something that had recently taken place in this great country of ours. She was using language, a southern dialect, and an experienced voice that spoke to me as well. I was so inspired by this one little post that I dove down into the rabbit hole of her social media account to check out another post that she referenced. Then, I kept hopping through her feed and finding myself shaking my head and patting my foot in agreement and enjoyment of several of her posts.

I think one of the things I loved most is that she is not some young upstart. She is, "a woman of a certain age." After enjoying quite a few minutes almost an hour of scouring through her Instagram feed, I clicked over to check out her book titles. I learned which was the first offering and ordered it on the spot. 

I didn't allow myself to start the book until I had completed one of the three books I had going. It served as sort of an incentive to stay up late and wake up early to get some extra reading in! As I was crunching on my cereal and slurping my tea this morning, I began this author's first published book. 

That first page was absolutely delightful! It was one that definitely would have been included in an old book notes from when I was teaching in a middle school classroom. At the beginning of the school year, I asked students to make a collection of first lines of the books they read. Periodically throughout the year, we took some time to look back at these first lines and compare them to the first lines of works we were writing. Those first lines served as inspiration for a lot of my young writers - and for them as readers as well. Below is the first page of the book that I read this morning in all it's southern glory:

First page of Every Crooked Nanny by Mary Kay Andrews

Since breakfast, I am already about one-fourth the way through this book and am enjoying every single bit of this light read. It is refreshing and, oh so enjoyable! Yet, at the same time I can hear the post by the author expressing her own opinion about what is happening in our world today. 

I've been wondering what I can do. What can one little old retired school teacher do to help make changes in the things that are happening today? I think Mary Kay Andrews is doing just what all of us should be doing. Expressing her opinions and explaining the basis of those ideas. Letting people know what she sees happening and how she feels about it.

I know that years ago my father stressed to me the importance of voting and how my voice counts. So, that is something that I definitely will be doing as well - and I will be campaigning for candidates who seem to support the way I think. I don't know what else I might do to help make changes in the things that are going on in the world around me today, but I'm going to keep my eyes and ears open for opportunities. I'm going to keep noticing.

I'm also pondering whether I should begin to follow this wonderful voice's lead and record some Kitchen Karaoke sessions to post for my family to enjoy...