Almost Odis

Growing up you might not have imagined I would be who I am today, but I don't think you'd have been too surprised that I ended up somewhere outside of the south and in a profession where a suit is required. I've always been a bit different from those with whom I share DNA. I am an unabashed preppy raised among Wrangler-clad farmers and cowboys. Most of the men in my family have been farmers, carpenters or welders, with the occasional preacher. Physically, I am very much like my family. From my mother I inherited small eyes which almost disappear when I smile and a love for Jesus. My father gave me short legs, a fiery temper and the ability to make people laugh. Both gave me a love of music and reading. When you put all the pieces together, you should get a tried and true good ol' boy, an Odis, if you will. You're supposed to but you don't.. Instead, you get me, an Almost Odis; a southerner to be sure but one whose disdain for the outdoors and manual labor and fashion-focused sensibilities stand in stark contrast to my people. Other than a penchant for relocation, my family is in most ways typically Southern. We believe in faith, family and fried foods. We cherish Christmas, casseroles and (righteous) condemnation. You might think I am the black sheep in my family, but this would require you to believe I am a sheep. What I am is more akin to a plaid koala bear, somehow thrust into a family of, mostly white, sheep. Of course, we have our fair share of sheep who are both dark gray and black, but no matter how I tried and no matter what I did, I was never a sheep in any sense of the word.