Saturday, November 15, 2014

COUNTRY SIDITTY GHETTO AND ME

COUNTRY, SIDITTY, GHETTO, AND ME Being called "country" is an insult. It implies backwardness and lack of worldliness. Yet, most of this country's population and the world's was once "country" or rural or rustic. But, as people moved to urban areas, cities, from the farms, due to labor shortages, educational advantages, and socialization preferences, so did "siditty." No one is more zealous than the newly converted, nor more self-righteous! Such persons are siditty saints. "Siditty" is pretensiousness, snobbishness,stuck-up. Likewise, newly-arrived city residents are among the most siditty of its citizens. http://zh.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=siditty When I first moved to Kansas City, Missouri, in 1976, I was surprised to note that these residents referred to their twin-city neighbors of Kansas City, Kansas, as "country." Coming from Howard University, in Washington, D.C., I could not distinguish them from each other unless they told me! Of course, "Siditty" was an art form in D.C., or if you prefer, "Washington," particularly among our people, who had all kinds of distinctions among themselves, based on irrelevant characteristics. "Sidittily" was also how St. Louis, Missourians, where I grew up, viewed East St. Louis, Illinoisans, just across the Mississippi River and fearfully, with trepidation, Well, I too am country in inclination and disposition. I just read widely, and inquire deeply, which distinguishes me from those who do neither. And I am not ashamed. Of course, the opposite of "country" is "ghetto," That I will never be. Praise God!