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 Dixieland Ring
Storytime Ideas & Guidelines
 
 By request, the Dixieland Ring has started publishing on the Dixieland Ring site. We welcome your stories, whether factual, or good fiction. There is a place for all of these. Browse through the guidelines and topics below. I'm sure that your memory will be stirred by some of the subjects. Pick a subject from the list or come up with a new one entirely and write about it. Send it to us and we will proudly put it in the Dixieland Ring giving you full credit.

All stories are copyrighted and property of the individual authors. No material can be copied or distributed from any portion of Dixieland Ring or Dixieland Ring Storytime without express written authorization by the original author.

 
 Feature Story Guidelines -
If you have a story to tell . . .

Dixieland Ring has started this Feature Story section and will keep an index of stories sent to us. We offer this as a free service to the Southern Community and to the world in general. Any materials that are submitted to us will remain your property but will have to be submitted with a letter authorizing us to publish it free of charge. Full credit will be given to you for any submissions that are published, but we reserve the right to edit. Any editing will be sent back to you for your approval before your article or story is featured.

The subjects listed below are just ideas. There are no hard and fast guidelines yet established. If you have any ideas on any subject, whether listed or not, please feel free to submit it to us.

This is a new undertaking for us, and we are feeling our way. Please write to me with any advice or knowledge. I am more than just willing to listen . . . I want to hear from you on this.

CONFEDERATE TALES - Confederate war stories or stories of our soldiers returning home. This could include anything from a letter written by an ancestor or a tale passed down through your family. This section could include war, love, homesickness, or history. There are no limits here. Stories can be true and accurate historical accounts, or fiction thought up by the author. All stories, whether fiction or non-fiction should be factually correct with regard to time, place and actual events.

CHILD REARING - Discipline today is certainly different than when I was growing up. Few children that were brave enough express their unwanted opinions. There was much less child abuse, domestic violence and molestation. Parents were not afraid of their children and theywere the ones who ruled the household, not children, not TV, not video games or computers. We didn't talk back to our teachers, parents, or any elders. If you have a story pertaining to this, I'd like to have it.

FOOD, RECIPES, COOKING - Well Water, homemade bread, dumplings, pies, cakes, and so on. These items seem to have disappeared over the years in favor of bottled or filtered water, bread machines or packaged or frozen bread, frozen dumpling and pie crusts, cake mixes and you name it . . . it's all right there on the shelves. If you have input, please write them down.

RESPECT - Respect for elders, preachers, teachers, peers, parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, the law, manners, animals, etc. Respect for elders, and especially females of any age - where I grew up, grandmothers were looked at with utmost respect. All older people (and that includes anyone older, period) were shown respect and good manners took precedence over all else. You might sock your best friend, brother, or worst enemy, but you didn't hit a girl for any reason. Women were expected to be ladies and if you acted like a lady, you were treated as a lady. I expect this stirs memories in most of us.

CHORES - Wash days and other special chores days, also assigned chores, and family chores - Saturdays seemed to be wash days at most homes. Each of us had our own chores to do and they got done. I wouldn't have wanted to be the one that neglected their chores. If you have a story about this, please send it.

MEDICAL - Home remedies, family doctors and medical stories - Our family doctor used to come by our house. A shot of penicillin would cure most ailments. Sometimes he would send his nurse. Either way . . . you could always expect a shot. My grandmother was forever mixing up concoctions for colds, fever, gout, arthritis, etc. How were things in your house?

FAMILY TRADITIONS, SOUTHERN EXPRESSIONS, FAMILY VALUES - For example in our house, it was a tradition that we all gather at my paternal grandmother's house for Thanksgiving. Every member was expected to be there, no excuses. It was traditional that we'd have a reunion each year. Expressions could be something as simple as "I'm fixin' to come over now" or "nary a cottingpickin' one." Each family has their own traditions and tales to tell. I'm sure that your traditions will bring some precious moments to us all. Family values were many. You were loyal to your family, your friends, and your church.

ODDITIES - Such as "my mother used to clean the house before the maid came so the maid wouldn't think she had a dirty house," or "we had to be sure of clean underwear, we might have an accident and wouldn't want to be caught with dirty underwear," or "don't cross your eyes, they might get stuck that way." Today maids seem to be pretty much a thing of the past, and some of our stories seem probably seem ancient to our children, yet they really weren't really all that long ago. Though only a few years, it seems like another lifetime.

STUDENTS - if you are a student and want to write, please feel free to write about any subjects. Also of interest would be stories such as: being mistreated because of your beliefs, whether Southern, religion or other. Awards, or notable mentions, essays or other items pertaining to Southern interests.

OTHER VERY IMPORTANT SUBJECTS - I'm not going to go into detail on all of the subjects that are available. You can draw your own conclusions. Each line will bring back a memory or similar experience with you. If you're too young for the memory or experience, the topic will still stir a yearning for something unknown, or a memory of a story told that needs to be retold. You do not have to write your story in one telling. You can right several stories on several topics, (preferred). I just want to try to capture the past and if anyone wants to compare it with the present or future . . . well, that's alright too.

• Old time politicians that were not afraid to stand up for their people

• Preachers that would visit you.

• "Dixie" was played at all get-togethers and everyone knew the words. I can still hear my father teaching me the words to "Dixie" as little boy. He rarely sang, but he sure liked that song and he made sure that I got it right. It was tradition for the high school band to play "Dixie" at every game. If something went right, they would play if for joy. If something went wrong, they would play it for support.

• We had heros, cops were good, all boys wanted to be firemen or policemen. Everyone knew about Robert E. Lee, Jeb Stuart, and the Gray Ghost.

• Everyone knew and respected their neighbors and most of the neighborhood.

• Hobos, gypsies, and wanderers.

• Promises, courtesies, helping hands and nicknames. My father used to call everyone that he didn't know, "Cap'n." He used to wave at everyone, stranger or friend.

• Things you just don't see anymore . . . lightning bugs, greenstamps, TV (Top Value) Stamps, small bottles of Dr. Pepper and Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale, marbles, yoyos, tops, and probably hundreds of other items and things that have become extinct faster than bugs, animals and plants.

• Farming, hoeing barefoot in hot weather. Thirsty and no relief until reaching a certain point. Everyone had their own gardens and put up their own food. You shelled peas, snapped beans, made your own pickles, and did your own canning. Farms usually included farm animals such as hogs, goats, cows, ducks, chickens, etc.

• I've seen the women folks, mothers, sisters, grandmothers, and aunts prepare their hair in different ways. Bobby pins, rags, rollers, etc. Hair styles have changed. There were certain dress codes that didn't have to be written. They were almost moral.

• Boys & Tomboys - building rafts, boats, swimming in the creek, catching tadpoles, frogs, crickets. Telling tall tales and believing every word.

• Racial Issues - The year that I graduated from high school was the first year that blacks were allowed into our schools. Things were much different, some were good, some were bad. I'd like to hear anything you have to say on this subject.

• Religion - it was assumed that a family went to church. It didn't matter if you were Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish. Religion was taken for granted. We said the Lord's Prayer in school before saying the Pledge of Allegiance.

• Property was respected. If you had a favorite pair of scissors, or a fishing pole, you knew that your ownership of it would be respected. Houses and cars were left unlocked and windows left open.

• "Old People," our elders, knew everyone in the family. If you were named Jack, they knew that you were named after Uncle Jack and why. Tales were passed down from generation to generation.

• Another theme that is important is the land... our respect for it, love of it, desire to own a small piece of it... this is great stuff. Also our poverty, a proud people brought low.
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