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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Food and Southern Women

Local Georgia Food Story

This has been submitted to BlogHer for their upcoming ebook about food.
 Who knows they may like it. Wish me well.

The power of food and southern women has always been intertwined.  I married a wickedly charming man but he dragged me to the middle of nowhere. Otherwise known as Middle Georgia. The only job I could get and keep my retirement was as a Director of Nursing at a state prison. The tall, imposing, imperial deep voiced warden walked through Medical daily and called every staff member "Doc" regardless of their name or title. I found it disrespectful to our physician as well as to the nursing staff. Besides, how on earth did we know who he was addressing when he wanted something?

I decided to teach him my name. With cake. I attended the Warden's Meeting every morning which was a serious security meeting.  If someone cracked a smile in that meeting I would have needed a "Doc" myself. An Assistant Warden once threatened to have my car searched for drugs because I was "too happy". That's the sort of paranoid security type officials I was dealing with. I baked Warden Wilson a basket of miniature Sour Cream Pound Cakes. I sat next to him and grabbed him by the wrist and said "Warden Wilson, I baked you  homemade cakes. You can have them if you will call me by my name. Nurse Olive or Director. Pick one please?" He actually looked at me for the first time. Prisons are nothing if not paramilitary organizations and they have little regard for medical personnel, least of all nurses male or female. Warden Wilson slowly unwrapped a pound cake, took a bite and looked me over again.  He said, "It's almost like my Mama's." Which is high praise. He never called me "Doc" again. 

I submitted one more food story. 
Would you like to read it? Let me know in the comments.

Olive



25 comments:

  1. Yes please Olive I would like to hear it.
    I love this story, it reveals your great strength of character, sense of right and wrong and also your mischievous humour - great and I do sincerely hope that you are successful.

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  2. I don't give a rats about what those BlogHer people think of your story. It's GREAT!

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  3. Oh, that is so interesting, funny and very well written! Yes, please give us more!

    You are always full of surprises, Doc. (bake me some cakes and I'll call you "Olive.")

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  4. That's is great! Now, if I say something tastes just like my Mama's that would not be a compliment. She couldn't cook worth a darn.

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  5. You write a wickedly charming story. More. More. More.

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  6. YES! I always LOVE your stories!

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  7. Yes, I'd love to read the other story! I bet this one will be accepted. It's different but still personifies exactly what a little southern charm and cake will do for the hardest hearts!

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  8. I'd be happy to read another one of your stories, Olive. I thought you handled the name situation beautifully.

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  9. They are going to love that one! Let's hear the next one.

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  10. Oh yes, Olive! This is a great story, funny, compelling - I want to know more! So what DID he end up calling you? Ann

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  11. Wonderful story! I read it out loud to my husband, of course... we want to hear more!

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  12. Brilliant story - yes I would love to hear another one

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  13. I LOVE it...more please. :) (Please post the other story.) I hope BlogHer publishes it. Good Luck!

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  14. You sure know how to tell a story! Very well written and humorous (of course)! Yes, let's read more!

    XO,
    Jane

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  15. Oh Olive!
    We always love your stories!!!!
    ♥'s
    Sherry

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  16. I love reading your stories...I want to read your book!

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  17. That is a darling story. They are crazy if they don't use that one!

    Judy

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  18. This is a great story Olive, and I'm picturing you in the movie Shawshank Redemption right now. Good luck!

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  19. oh, great story! I want to hear more about working there AND get the recipe! Good Luck!

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  20. Oh Olive, GREAT story! Can't imaging this won't be used. Of course I want to read another...and another!!
    Mary Alice

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  21. Oh, I love this story! I'm a Southern lady and know the power of good food...especially dessert! You wrote this one perfectly! I would LOVE to hear another one!

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  22. Wow - you are brilliant - great strategy.

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  23. Great story, Nurse Olive! People always remember food and where it came from. :-)

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I adore your comments. They are like finding unexpected chocolates. olive