The Holding Onto Dignity Event Of The Century...

Though Kentucky is not considered to be a deep south state we nevertheless share some of the unique traits of the south.  Three of the most important things here are charm, saving face, and loyalty.  Gossip absolutely does not EVER apply to southern loyalty you see, for one can gossip like crazy without shame from one end of Kentucky to the other and yet STILL be considered as VERY loyal.

It is also very highly important to know this region is quite hilly.  For our Muldraugh Hills throughout Horse Country Kentucky are not JUST hills BUT are noble MOUNTAINS only worn down alittle by age.  

Also here in the south, especially on many of our horse farms the main houses have huge verandas where families gather on nice Sunday afternoons.  Another very charming thing about the south is the fact ladies here are addressed as "Miss" with their first name, only it tends to get pronounced as "Miz" instead, such as Miz Adelaide.

My just-a-friend Danny exemplified southern charm and as I soon discovered, saving face which means tenaciously holding onto one's dignity no matter how much one is losing one's dignity, which by the way Danny took to extremes.  Danny also tinkered on cars yet I assure you he wasn't at all as good on them as he thought he was.  In fact Danny failed miserably when it came to cars (and horses too actually), BUT he boarded a horse at the same farm I did which is how we knew each other.  

After I had to learn to walk again the second time following my second spine surgery, but hadn't been allowed to drive yet, Danny very kindly drove me out to the farm with him.  But for some reason he was always driving a different car though.🙃

Have I said how hilly it is here yet?  Believe me, it really IS very VERY hilly here.🤣

So one bright Sunday afternoon after Danny and I had been out at the farm and were heading back to town, we were speeding down a very steep former mountain when Danny calmly said to me, "Uh oh, Miz Adelaide, the brakes went out again."

Not so calmly I replied, "WHAT?!!  WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE BRAKES WENT OUT?!!"😱

"We have no brakes."🙄 

"OHHH SHIT!"

Then as we were careening down this very steep hill which used to be a mountain, Danny suddenly turned the speeding car into the driveway of the Higgins Mansion.  On the veranda were gathered 

all the generations of Higginses with all of their iced teas.😳

The driveway had a loop which proceeded right in front of the verandah (southern spelling).  Danny wanted to drive around this loop a few times till we hopefully slowed down enough to proceed on our way.  But you see, we were not in a position to tell the Higgins family what was happening BECAUSE WE COULDN'T STOP TO TELL THEM, and Danny was flat out determined to save any remaining shreds of his dignity at all cost, while his passenger was wondering if SHE should save her life by making a leap from the speeding car and to hell with any dignity.

"Now Miz Adelaide, each time we drive past the Higginses veranDAH politely wave and smile to them so they think what we're doing is normal."

"WHAT?!!  THIS ISN'T NORMAL."🤣

"Please just do it?  I don't want the Higgins to think

I've screwed up another car."🙃

SO...we ended up making not one, not four, but FIVE loops all around the Higgins' driveway loop very politely waving and smiling to all the Higginses each loop we went around like not a thing was wrong, as all the Higginses very politely waved and smiled back to us each loop we made with the most startled looks upon their faces.🥴

"Uh Danny, aren't they all wondering WHY WE'RE NOT STOPPING?"🤣

"Probably.  But southern charm means if somebody comes down your driveway making five loops around your loop one Sunday while very politely waving and smiling as they go by in front of your verandah each time without stopping, you respond with sincere politeness back without questioning their reasons."🙄

"BUT DANNY, THEIR FACES HAVE 'QUESTIONING OUR REASONS' WRITTEN ALL OVER THEM!"😂

"Yeah, well maybe being a little mysterious about exactly why we're making these five loops around their loop is a good thing."

"Danny, you know they're going to be talking about this for decades, right?"

"Maybe."

By the time we made five loops and headed safely on our way with the brakes miraculously working again somehow, Danny and I left all the Higginses and their ice teas with one final series of our well executed very polite smiles with waving and then even a toot on the car horn too, after a charmingly successful saving dignity event.👍

And yes, nearly everyone in the whole region soon heard about the Sunday the charming Danny and Miz Adelaide made a social call FROM A MOVING CAR TEN LOOPS (it became exaggerated in the MANY retellings through the decades, you see) while happily waving and smiling at the Higgins family as they all sat on their veranDAH with their ice teas very happily waving and smiling back.

I began driving again immediately afterwards...🤣