Sticks and Stones

I went out of town for 11 days and returned to some hateful and downright mean emails. Then I made the mistake of checking the vox and blogs where I found a number of colorful comments about me, because I expressed my opinion. Sorry folks, I don’t get NASCAR, but I recognize its importance as a sport and that is why I wrote about it. I also don’t like to watch ice hockey – big, bulky guys hitting a small puck just don’t do it for me. Guess this means I am anti-Canadian too?

It seems that if my column has both the words North and South in it (as it almost always does because that is the purpose of my column), I must be making fun of Southerners and touting the superiority of Northerners. Well, it hasn’t happened that way yet, and it won’t.

When I signed on with Bluffton Today to write a weekly column, I thought it would be fun. This isn’t my full-time job and honestly they pay me peanuts, but I thought it would be a great way to get to know my new hometown and the people in it. My goal here is to share my experiences as a Northerner living in the South. That is what I am paid to do. I talk about the places I go, the people I meet, the things I see, and adjusting to a new lifestyle.

If you hate me, fine. If you love to hate me, that’s fine too. But, rather than telling me to go home, or calling me an uppity Yankee b*&%!, how about you re-read the column and talk to me about what I really wrote about, not what you imagine my perception to be. Or, here’s an idea -- you could just turn the page! However, if your purpose is to get under my skin, which I suspect it is, I’ll never convince you otherwise.

To Alice in Wonderland’s friend in the “blogosphere” who found it necessary to research me and my personal life further – I wish I had the free time that you do.

To those of you who claim to “know me” – I don’t know any cartoon characters so, as far as I can tell we are not acquaintances.

Now most importantly, for the many Blufftonians who send me funny emails and share their stories, experiences, and ideas, thank you. You make me smile every day!

So, since we all have to learn to live together – here’s an idea for some G-Rated fun:

Tuesday nights throughout August at Berkeley Place on Buckwalter, The Headliners are performing FREE concerts. It was great to see a Bluffton venue bustling with people. The restaurants were full, business was good, families were enjoying a night out, the crowd was dancing and little girls were twirling in circles around the fountain. It was a beautiful thing. Check them out Tuesdays this month from 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.

Courtney Naughton is a Jersey Shore native who relocated to Bluffton. She wishes she was an armadillo for the thicker skin! You can email her at courtneynaughton@hargray.com. Stalkers need not respond.