Alabama, You’re Breaking My Heart

I have been hearing good things about The Disaster Artist. I haven’t seen it yet, but I absolutely will.

It’s the adaptation of the book of the same title by actor Greg Sestero. The book is primarily a behind the scenes look at the making of the so-bad-its-brilliant cult film The Room. And Sestero’s relationship with the film’s writer/director/producer/star/financer – certified oddball Tommy Wiseau.

And in the lead-up to The Disaster Artist, I’ve been seeing many more clips from The Room pop up on YouTube lately.

One of the most famous clips, which has been meme-ified to death, is the now infamous, “You’re tearing me apart, Lisa!” scene.

This piece isn’t about either film.

Background, you know?

Every day, I look at news from this Alabama special senatorial election, and I can’t help but declare, “You’re tearing me apart, Alabama!”

My address is no longer in Alabama, but that’s still home. As the group Alabama famously sang, “I lost so much of me, but there’s enough of me to say that my Home’s in Alabama, no matter where I lay my head.”

I usually say this in a Crimson Tide context, but I mean it now more than ever. I am Bama Born. I am Bama bred. And when the good lord calls me home, I’ll be proud to be Bama Dead.

My home has a lot to be proud of. In fact, I’d love to list a few things and people we’re proud of. And I’m not even going to mention the Crimson Tide football team. Or that bunch of War Eagle Tigers from the other side of the state.

• Redstone Arsenal: building rockets to send astronauts to space since the Apollo missions.
• Lionel Richie: founding member of The Commodores, legendary solo artist, and iconic songwriter who co-wrote We Are the World.
• Willie Mays: Member of the baseball hall of fame, 660 home runs, 12-time gold glove winner.
• Winston Groom: prolific fiction and nonfiction writer, author of Forrest Gump.
• Chuck Leavell: recorded and toured with the Allman Brothers Band, Eric Clapton, and is the current musical director for The Rolling Stones.
• Hugo Black: a US Senator and the single longest-serving associate justice of the US Supreme Court.
• Harper Lee: author of the seminal novel To Kill a Mockingbird.
• Martin Luther King, Jr: minister and champion of civil rights.

I could go on and on and list more and more people and places. I could have listed Mel Allen, Charles Barkley, Henry Aaron, Emmylou Harris – any number of amazing figures.

Hell, I could have listed myself! I mean, I’m part of the Alabama literary tradition. A small part, but a part.

I love my home state. I really do. It’s my home.

While my head hits the pillow in New York, my heart will always be in that small white house on the end of a cul de sac in Tuscaloosa.

It’s where I first fell in love with language. It’s where I first fell in love with the Crimson Tide. It’s where I first fell in love with and got my heart broken by a girl.

I love my home. But one of my biggest fears is opening my mouth to speak and a porridge of Alabama stereotypes comes pouring out.

Alabama has an amazing tradition. But I think this Senatorial race has taken a giant dump on all of it.

I don’t want to start in with why Roy Moore scares the hell out of me. I’ve already shared about this.

But what I do want to share about is how the Heart of Dixie can transform.

I was asked a pretty pointed question the other day by a New Yorker about Alabama.

“Can Alabama change?”

Without a doubt, I think we can. I absolutely think Alabama can change. I absolutely think we can grow and thrive and flourish.

One stereotype that Alabama has is that we’re all obsessed with college football. This is a stereotype I proudly own. But I’ve known of people who have gotten shot over the Iron Bowl rivalry. That ain’t right! It’s just football!

Hell, former Bama kicker Cade Foster got death threats over his poor Iron Bowl in 2013! Current Bama QB Jalen Hurts got racist threats because of his less than stellar game in the 2017 Iron Bowl!

I was upset about both of those games. Maybe more so the 2013 game because of that Kick Six play that has been replayed over and over…

It’s just football!

But other than football, I can safely say that Alabama can transform! But it must choose transformation.

Watch this name: Walter Maddox.

He’s the mayor of Tuscaloosa. He’s only 44 years old. He’s a good-looking, charismatic guy who was a calming force after the 2011 Tornado outbreak. He got some notoriety from meeting with President Obama.

He’s going to run for Governor next year and I think with the right push he could go a long way.

I believe that the only way that Alabama can truly transform is to celebrate its past, but don’t live there. Celebrate Henry Aaron, Charles Barkley, Zelda Fitzgerald, Truman Capote, Sun Ra, Zora Neale Hurston, and Lionel Hampton.

Celebrate our past, but don’t live there.

Alabama, you’re bigger than just college football and NASCAR. You’re bigger than Bull Connor and George Wallace. You’re bigger than Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis.

You’re bigger than white robes and nooses.

You’re Rosa Parks. You’re Coretta Scott King. You’re Bo Jackson.

You’re giant leaps for mankind!

If I could borrow a line from the Neil Young song:

“Oh Alabama, let me see you and shake your hand.”

I say all these things because I love you. But you can be better. You can heal. You can grow.

But you’ve got to want it.

Whatever happens next week, first thing you need to do is heal. And really take time to look at who you’re being.

You’re greatness personified, but you need to open up and move forward.

Sweet home Alabama, I love you but you’re breaking my heart.

Photo by nola.agent