Why Mississippi?
I remember my friend asking me that question when I told him I had accepted the cartooning job at The Clarion-Ledger. At the time, I lived in San Diego — you won’t find a finer place to live weather-wise. I think my friend was incredulous that I was leaving such a paradise. Truthfully, Amy and I loved our adopted hometown. Picnics on Shelter Island, walks along Mission Bay, hikes to Point Loma, sitting on the beach in La Jolla Shores. I sat for a moment, trying to come up with a reason to explain to my friend why we were moving back to our native South.
“I’ve always wanted a cartooning job and we’ll be within a car ride to Atlanta. We will have kids someday. We want to be closer to our families.”
It was a solid answer and a true one. But nearly 27 years later, I can tell my friend another reason.
“It’s the people. Last week, I got to sit on a front porch with David Rae Morris as I listened to him talk about legacy, having a famous father (Willie Morris), blazing his own path, and making sure his daughter blazes her own. I watched Wyatt Waters create a beautiful watercolor painting in the time it would take me to draw a cartoon. And then I got to hang out with him and his wonderful wife, Kristi. I had a conversation with David Sheffield, a writer I really admire (a playwright and former SNL writer, if you liked an Eddie Murphy skit, you can thank David.) I listened to Joe Crespino talk about his father, an NFL legend, and then Atticus Finch, who many of us wanted to be our father. Richard Ragan entertained us with stories about his journey from the Mississippi Delta to North Korea to Yemen. I listened to Curtis Wilkie tell stories about Willie Morris And Maude Schuyler Clay reminded me of the power of images to tell a story.
That’s just last week.
Mississippi is far from a perfect place. We have so many problems that need to be solved and at times, our leadership seems to lack the will do so. We are 50th in so many good lists and #1 in too many bad ones. But let me just say this: If you don’t have a reason to love something, you won’t make the effort to try to make it better.
So let me go back to the “Why Mississippi?”
Mississippi has allowed me to cross paths with so many talented people.
Yes, that’s it. I’ve been able to meet, interview, befriend, and get to know so many talented people.
And I’m better for it.