Redneck Ingenuity

Redneck....it is a word with so many connotations. And, those connotations rage from really bad, to quite good. It all started in Scotland in the 1640's. People who rejected rule by bishops wore red cloths around their necks to signify their position. This term has also been used to denote poor white farmers in the South who had a political faction inside the Democratic Party, in the early 1900's. Also known as the, "wool hat boys", because they opposed rich men who wore expensive suits. 

Yes, it has been an historically derogatory term. Most folks identify it with unsavory individuals with poor manners, low social position, and....well....indelicate behavior. I'll just put it that way. 

However, these days it has taken on whole new view. With comedians and actors alike showcasing life in the South, it has come to mean individuals who do the best they can with what they have. They live life independently with strong opinions and equally strong religious beliefs. 

So, today I would like to salute what it means to do the best you can with what you have.  I give you, the lowly clothes hanger.  Curved into my own creative tool, it has unclogged drains, cleaned out the lint trap on the clothes dryer, and removed a large bird nest from a house vent.  

Bless their feathered hearts....I had to do it. 

The clothes hanger comes in first by only an incredibly slim margin.  I mean, let us not overlook the obvious redneck uses of duct tape.  A little piece of chewed gum and some duct tape have saved me from a large pool hose leak, until I could make the 25-minute trip to, "town". 

You do what you have when you live out on a farmette....redneck or not.