Georgia on my mind

“Georgia, Georgia, the whole day through. Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my miiinnd ...”

Be glad you can’t hear me singing that. Although I don’t sound like Ray Charles, I do love that song.

It reminds me of watching the laser show at Stone Mountain as a child. One summer night a year (inevitably the hottest), my family and I would show up around dusk, spread out a big red Georgia Bulldog blanket (that I still own and use for picnics) and settle in to watch the laser show.

It was a huge event for my little sister and me. For one, we were introduced to the waffle cone there, which we got to buy only after we named the three Confederate heroes depicted on the mountain’s carvings. (Confederate President Jefferson Davis, General Robert E. Lee and Lt. General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. Can I have my ice cream now?)

Dad would then give us a Georgia history lesson, which we happily listened to while we looked at the stars and played with our glow sticks that we’d begged for. Then the show would start with the country bears, followed by “The Devil went down to Georgia,” but always finishing with “Georgia on my mind.” That song felt like the national anthem to us.

So, when I stumbled across a blog called, Georgia on my Mind, I had to stop and give it a read, despite the fact that I was in the middle of research for an article with a deadline. I soon realized this was no ordinary blog.

Georgia on my Mind is an extensive collection of blogs authored by folks from my fair state. The founder of the site is a history teacher, and this site has enough Georgia history to satisfy even the most ardent buff such as my father.

The site is also home to the Georgia Carnival, which is Reader’s Digest-like collection of blogs written either by Georgians or about Georgia/Georgians on a variety of topics. (The moderator was kind enough to include my blog in the current listing). In addition, Georgia on my Mind blogs are categorized for the reader’s convenience. Click here to check it out. I can’t wait to find one about Stone Mountain’s laser show! And for some strange reason, I'm really craving a waffle cone!