The Palmetto State

My morning began as usual. The alarm clock went off. It kept going off. Reluctantly I got up and turned if off and began my day. (sometime in middle school I developed this love of sleep... and subsequently a hate of my alarm clock)

I went downstairs, ate breakfast, enjoyed a cup of coffee while reading the newspaper and watching CNN (yes, at the same time). Then I came upstairs to do some work on the computer. In searching for a list of "strange laws" in South Carolina to use in something I am preparing, I came across an essay written by an individual affiliated with the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta (aka - Georgia Tech). Here's the link if you'd like to read it as well: http://users.ece.gatech.edu/~mleach/sc/

My “usual” morning turned very different. I assumed (unjustly) that this article was written by some teenager who had never visited South Carolina and knew nothing of it. Turns out it was written by a fifty-year-old professor of Audio Engineering at Georgia Tech.

Let me explain quickly my history with South Carolina. I was born here in 1984 and have lived within this state for every year after then except for the thirty months I lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with my family (which, by the way, was a most incredible thirty months and I encourage you to help those guys out in the midst of Katrina if you are able). Most of my family arrived here in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with a few more coming in the nineteenth century. Many came from Ireland, and then an assortment from Wales, Britain, Italy, and a hand-full of other places. Some migrated to Texas over time, but for the most part, my family stayed in this little state called South Carolina. At some point in time, my ancestors owned slaves and had great big plantations. They don’t today, and I really don’t agree with the ones who did back then, but I wasn’t there, so I can’t say much about it. When I look at people today, they are people in my eyes, and no different from me regardless of where they may have come from. My family has a history in politics, education, business, and the military.

In short, I have very strong ties to this state, it is my home, and I am very passionate about this. Yes, I have visited other parts of the world, I love visiting other parts of the world, but this is my home, and I love it dearly. To hear someone degrade my state doesn’t necessarily anger me, it saddens me. Either this person is too arrogant to actually visit this place and see what it is really like, or they have endured a negative experience while in my home state. So, I will do my best effort to tell you about my state.

First, I'll get this out of the way. The Civil War began in Charleston, my anscestors fought in it, just as they fought in the Revolution and World War II. We were not the only state in the Confederacy. The Confederacy was not successful. Many historians say that the military advances caused by this war led the United States to become the superpower it is today. I'm glad we're still a "United" States, I love my country just as much as my state, and I'm very glad that a vast majority of people in this state today are able to see each other as people and nothing less.

South Carolina is home to a lot of religious, conservative people. They’ve been that way since settling Charles Town and probably aren’t going to change anytime soon (although we were liberal enough to change it to Charleston). We love sweet tea and we love to shag. We’re home to three nationally-recognized research universities, one of which competes frequently with schools like Georgia Tech (athletically and academically) and frequently wins. It was also the first college in the country to peacefully welcome African-American students, the first who later became mayor of Charlotte.

Our education system is decent (although it leaves room for improvement). Yes, we do rank last in some things. Most unbiased research firms have ranked South Carolina in the upper thirties among states when it comes to education over the past few years (usually between 32-33). Georgia, to give some comparison, has ranked in the lower thirties (about 38). We are home to some of the best liberal arts colleges in the country, the oldest municipal college in the country, and Queen Elizabeth II’s knee was manufactured here, in addition to portions of space shuttles and military aircraft. And I almost forgot about one of the first three genetic research centers in the world… I was born a block away from it.

Our state produced the first operating submarine, has the only presently-operating U.S. tea plantation, and is the largest source of peaches in the United States (just because you name everything “peachtree” doesn’t mean you have more of them). We also produced a number of ambassadors (including the present one to Canada and a number of other countries). If you drive an X5, Z-3 (or 4), or have Michelin tires, South Carolina was responsible for those.

If our state were a city, we’d be a little larger than Los Angeles, and we’re ten times the size of Atlanta. We’re fairly rural, but when it comes to the number of people per square mile, we’re twice the national average. We rank pretty high up there on individuals owning their own home, nearing the 75% mark. Our education system rests alongside the national average, and has been increasing over the past 30 years.

Despite our population, we’re passionate about our land, and rightfully so. The northern portion of our state edges the Appalachian Mountains, with dozens of hiking trails and waterfalls open to the public daily. The foothills gradually transition into the midlands, where lakes, rivers, and grassland fill the terrain. If you dig deep enough, you’ll find seashells, from when the ocean reached the midlands thousands of years ago. Keep going and you’ll reach the low-country, known for its plantations, Spanish moss, and roads lined with huge century-old trees. This all accompanied by hundreds of miles of pristine beaches, inlets, waterways, swamps and marshlands, wildlife, incredible golf courses and gardens, and some of the best fishing you’ll ever find.

The most amazing thing about this: you can go from mountain-top to ocean in about four hours, without speeding and worrying about state troopers, all with the same education requirements of any other state. I've never heard them address anyone by other than "sir" or "ma'am", which we're very proud to still use for the most part.

Maybe I’m just proud of the same state that produced John C Calhoun, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Andrew Jackson (yes, the President), and Radio. Maybe I’m proud of a state that has so much history it takes a thousand-page book just to scrape the surface.

Sure, we like our rural settings (and commute times under 25 minutes). Sure, we enjoy being a little slower-paced than New York or LA. We enjoy going to church, hiking in the mountains, and going to the beach. We’re big on using the palmetto tree and moon on everything we wear, write-on, and drive. We’re South Carolina, we like it, and if you for some reason don’t seem to, we’d prefer you leave this little slice of heaven to those of us who do.

Above this, if you have an open mind, I welcome you to come visit my state. We love visitors and welcome you to see our amazing state.

I should note before closing the most important point of all. South Carolina was the eighth state to enter the Union. Today, there are forty-nine others. Together, we are a United States. South Carolina is just as much a part of this as Hawaii, Georgia, Maine, or Texas. While my passion for South Carolina is strong, I am an American. We are Americans. I'm not here to degrade your state, and I hope you're not here to degrade mine. We live in an awesome country, not because of any one state, but because of the fifty that united together. This, my friend, is one thing we should never forget.

A proud American,
gcm

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Shining City Upon a Hill iii

Since a young age, I've always been fascinated by "the news". It was always on television at home. In the morning, the Today show was always a part of the morning rush; in the evenings, up until his retirement recently, Tom Brokaw brought us the day's events, and now Brian Williams fills the role. In high school I spent many afternoons and evenings at the local news station learning what it was like to "bring the news to people". I even tried my hand at creating a news show in high school and again in college, both very exciting things. In high school, I edited the school paper for two years, and before that, wrote columns in a local paper.

It was all news. Fast-paced at times, but very enjoyable.

Now I diversify a bit from the past and watch some CNN or Fox News, and even sometimes get my news from the internet. Something about it all amazes me, though. It came very clearly as I watched the news the other day: the sadness amazes me.

The first order of business? If any casualties have been recorded in Iraq during the day, it is the first thing to be mentioned. Then, especially with the local news, any reports of the day's criminal activities is passed along to the viewer. Then there's the update on a handful of court cases (criminal or otherwise) that the television network has chosen to spotlight amidst the thousands. We're then given updates on different groups of maybe ten or twenty people who think they have the answer to our country's problems, then we're told of some recent discovery that the federal government is spending our hard-earned tax dollars on some huge project benefiting thirteen people in a rural area we've never heard of... usually deemed "the fleecing of America". Business news is next... a few numbers we become obsessed with (it's scary to think that the activity of thirty stocks can determine the attitude of a person... much less millions of people around the world).

There's a good part and a bad part to all of this. The bad part? Watching the news, with the exception of the excitement of the shuttle launch and return recently, tends to depress me more than any other single part of my day. The good part? Fortunately, I see a lot of good that happens in the world every day, at least enough to know that the news doesn't really cover alot of the "good stuff" that's happening out there in the world.

We, the Americans, are bringing hope to a country previously run by tyranny. The vast majority (a proven and undisputed thing) of them thank us for trying to help them. Americans sent more money than internationally-recognized analysts said could actually be used to help tsunami victims. The rebuilding taking place right now in Sumatra and Sri Lanka and India hasn't gotten much television coverage.

And that's only the beginning. More than the United States, other people in other places are working every day to make this world a better place. I don't really get that vibe from CNN, as there it seems like every day there's a disaster going on and it's so frantic that you have to go through the "situation room" for a few hours every afternoon. I didn't get that from CNN, though... I saw it with my own eyes -- I did my own investigation.

And guess what? There's more to be done. Last month we allocated $25.4 billion (or something like that) to do stuff like build $7.2 million bridges in obscure places, build a new architecturally-pleasing welcome center for a small, seldom visited state park for the reasonable sum of $10.8 million. Yet we gripe and complain about sending $300 million to Africa for starving kids, most whom if given the same opportunities I had growing up wouldn't be much unlike me today.

Four Americans died in Iraq the other day as a result of a roadside bomb. I won't challenge the fact that it's tragic, sad, and that I continually pray for our troops in Iraq and in just about every corner of the globe who put their lives on the line daily to protect my freedom. The other day, in just about a thousand miles west of Iraq, sixty kids died every minute because we don't seem quite so motivated to help them. Sure, they're not Americans, but they're people, just like us.

You know, this story was also covered by the news. And, to my surprise, there wasn't much of a "good story" to find, as there wasn't much positive going on there. That got me to thinking more... are we seeking to change the world still? Or is that a dream that is dead and gone?

Maybe the news needs more positive stories to run, but they're just so hard to find that it's easier to find bad news.

What if we all really believed that we, as just a single person, could change the world? Maybe, just maybe, the nightly news might leave a smile on a few more people's faces...

Ronald Reagan believed anyone, no matter how small or big, young or old, smart or not, could change the world. That's why he called this America a "Shining City Upon a Hill", and his dream was that we may shine for all the world to see, and set an example for the world to live by.

Are we changing the world for the better? Reagan passed the torch to us. There's never been a better time than now to give it a shot. Prove the news wrong -- start doing something every day to help others believe there's still some good news left to hear.

Dreaming of a better place,
chris

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The Bookcase

Today was a turning point for me. Eight and a half years ago, my family moved from Lexington, SC, to Powdersville, SC. One of the first pieces of furniture we brought up the stairs and into my room was my bookcase. We put it just inside the door, on the right, against the wall. And there it stayed, for eight and a half years.

For those of you who know me well, you know that many bookshelves joined this one over the years, as my books no longer fit on just one set of shelves. The thing that makes today different is, well, I moved the bookcase. It was the only piece of furniture in my room that had remained constant for eight and a half years. Through eighth grade, high school, figuring out which college to go to (and yes, I really did think about it for a few weeks... it wasn't as easy as I may let on to), coming home from Clemson each summer with new thoughts and new directions, celebrating holidays, and just having a nice and quiet retreat to crash when I was burnt out.

I usually move stuff around in my room every few months, as new things come and old things go, and I don't like things remaining constant. There was something unique about this bookcase, though. Over the years, I had slowly added "stuff" to the top of it. It started with an OC Supertones promotional sign and my trophies from swimming and baseball. Then it grew over the years. Every once in a while I'd find something interesting and put it up there. All of the pieces record a different time in my life. Different interests.

One is a burnt-out spotlight bulb from high school, when I coordinated the lights and sound for some school productions. There's a 2000 box from Disney World reminding me of my trip that year. Several frogs... yeah, those are kinda random. Old wooden race cars from my days as a boy scout. A souvenir coke bottle from when the olympic torch came through Clemson in 2002... alongside a picture of me holding another olympic torch in Columbia in '96. Some random smithsonian souvenirs from my trips to DC during high school and college.

All reminders of the past...

Today my bookcase is across the room, in a new place, and a very re-arranged room. But the top is empty (except for eight years of dust... i've been afraid to tackle that). I think today I'll start fresh. That other stuff can go on top of a different bookcase -- I think on this one I'll start over, as it was kinda full to start with.

Needless to say, this whole thing has made me look back over the years, and has made me realize a few things. I've done a lot of different stuff. I collect way too much of what most of the world calls "junk". I have more books than any 20-year-old needs (in fact, I'm 30,000 pages behind on reading all the books I own). The scariest part is that I know how many pages I'm behind. The best part is knowing that if I went back to when I first put that bookcase there eight and a half years ago, I wouldn't do a thing different, because it's been the best eight and a half years of my life. I've learned more, grown more, and seen more in these years than ever before. I live a great life, and remembering through the past helps remind me how blessed I am.

If there's one thing I'm reminded of, it's the one thing that's been inside of me since a very, very young age... live life. Be happy. Smile. Breathe. Laugh. Eat ice cream. Stick your tongue out. Lick ice cubes. Be a kid. Spend time with kids. Read. Dream. Imagine. See no limits. Listen. Paint. Draw. Take pictures. Travel. Learn something new. Experience a different culture.

Live life.

It's the greatest thing I've ever done, and looking back, the only thing that's remained constant in my life. This life is a gift to me. So I'll live it for all it's worth. I've been doing it for twenty years... why stop now?

-gcm

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