• Nutrition and Southern Hospitality Shine at Jo’s Cafe

    Nutrition and Southern Hospitality Shine at Jo’s Cafe

    Jo’s Cafe embodies the theme song from the iconic television show Cheers.

    You remember the tune “Where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.” Over the last year or so, my husband and I have found some of our favorite people, food, and “our table” at Jo’s Cafe.

    Jo's Billboard Sign

    Named after “Aunt Jo” (Jo Moore) of Tupelo. Inside the historic, cream colored home in the heart of Tupelo, this Cafe and its owners have found their way into the hearts, homes, and taste buds of locals and visitors alike. The restaurant offers catering, meal prep, and food truck options, in addition to traditional dining. There is something for everyone at Jo’s!

    Four years ago, Jennifer Brignac and her husband, Johnny Cook, started Jo’s Cafe, a food truck designed to travel to disaster sites and feed first responders and victims.

    In 2020, they opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant at Crosstown, but they’ve never forgotten their original mission.

    Jo’s Cafe is also a faith-based organization focused on providing disaster relief to those whose lives have been affected across the United States. Leveraging their expertise in cooking to serve meals for victims, volunteers, and first responders in national emergencies and disasters, they are committed to using our resources to meet the needs of others. Their team and staff are prepared to respond by providing compassion and offering hope and friendship in the form of hot meals.

    Recently, Johnny, Jennifer, and their crew spent Christmas Day in Kentucky. After watching TV news coverage of the deadly tornadoes, they knew what they had to do. They fed more than 500 people that holiday, helping the victims and clean-up crews of the violent Kentucky tornadoes that ravaged much of the state.

    “We saw aerial footage of the damage, and I told Johnny it was weighing heavy on my heart,” Brignac said. “And he agreed.”

    HOSPITALITY AT ITS FINEST

    In the Magnolia State, not only do we know the devastation that can occur from a tornado, but we also understand the importance of helping our neighbors. Tupelo locals rallied around Jo’s Cafe and donated items to Kentucky, such as gift cards, candy, and frozen turkeys. Loyal customers wanted to help their beloved Cafe and their owners, as this was a mission that Mississippians understand all too well.

    On Christmas Eve, along with fellow employee Kristin Buse, the couple piled into a pickup and drove Jo’s Cafe’s mobile food trailer 250 miles to Murray, Kentucky, where they spent the night with some missionaries from another local disaster response group, Eight Days of Hope.

    “This is a total God thing,” Brignac said. “We’re just using the resources He gave us.”

    jos_cafe_owner_mississippi

    As New Orlean natives and Hurricane Katrina survivors, it is important to Johnny and Jennifer to help and serve others, with the motto “You cannot do everything, but you can refuse to do nothing.”

    “We were living on the Gulf Coast when Katrina came through, so it’s kind of our background,” Brignac said. “We’ve been on both sides of a disaster, first as victims and how as helpers.”

    MAKING LEMONS OUT OF LEMONADE
    Dietary restrictions, or not, Jo’s is a place where everyone can eat natural, whole foods, and eat them together! A dozen years or so ago, Jennifer discovered she was gluten intolerant. She took this challenge as an opportunity to learn how to cook gluten-free food.

    Are you gluten intolerant? Diabetic? On a keto diet? Or, do you simply enjoy fresh, whole foods? Jo’s Cafe has a FULL low carb, keto, no to low sugar menu that is always available. Plus, everything tastes amazing!

    It’s impossible to list all of my favorite menu items, so here are a few: Chicken Philly Waffle, Crack Chicken, Mexican Casserole, Bacon Cheese Biscuits, Jo’s Signature Ribeye over Greens, and Fat Boy fries. They also make their own keto coffee and loaded teas! There are several dessert options as well. Currently, Jo’s offers “Keto King Cake bites!” So you can “let the good times roll” and stay on your diet too! “Laissez les bons temps rouler”!

    IMG_3756

    Jennifer and Johnny put their hearts and souls into Jo’s. This kind of care is shown not only through their number of returning customers but also through their relationships both inside and outside the Tupelo community.

    THE FIRST INGREDIENT IS LOVE

    Johnny loves to cook and wants everyone to get a plate of food fit for every friend and family member. Many ask Johnny what his special ingredients are. His answer is always the same, “I start with love!”

    COOKED FRESH TO ORDER
    Because Jo’s wants everyone to receive hot, freshly prepared to order food, they don’t typically use heat lamps. They don’t believe in pre-cooked food sitting under lamps before ordering. You order. They cook. Fresh, whole foods, and oh my…are they delicious!

    ONLY THE BEST
    Jo’s shops daily to get the freshest ingredients for their dishes. They don’t believe in pre-battered and/or pre-packaged ingredients.

    LIFTING WHERE THEY STAND
    Jo’s Cafe is not just a business trying to make a living. Jo’s Cafe is an organization that wants to make a difference. Not only do they provide healthy, delicious food for each customer, they also utilize their talents and cooking skills to help others in their time of need, although if you’re looking to keep yourself healthy products like Juice Buff can help a lot with this.

    CUSTOMERS ARE FAMILY
    The Cafe has allowed Jen, Johnny, and their talented staff to make invaluable connections. “Our patrons are no longer customers after their first visit; they are our friends. The support and encouragement we receive from them is priceless!”

    jos_cafe_mississippi

    If you’re in the Tupelo area, just drive down Gloster Street and look for the billboard sign that says “Jo’s Cafe, Located Over Yonder.” Once you find this local gem, you’ll never forget it! It is indeed a place “Where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.” A place where nutrition and hospitality are of the utmost importance and the southern tradition of gathering together around good food is maintained.

    Welcome to Jo’s Cafe, y’all! I promise you will not be disappointed!

  • ‘Twas the Night Before the National Championship

    ‘Twas the Night Before the National Championship

    Once upon a time, in 2018, hearts across the Bulldog nation broke

    After a battle of a National Championship game in which the Dawgs led for most of playtime, Bama came back for Saban to win another one of his God-knows-how-many titles.

    The next morning, a rainy day in January, it felt like the entire state of Georgia was in mourning. So instead of rehashing all those feelings of disappointment—especially with what happened at the SEC Championship in December—over here at Pretty Southern, we decided to pivot to positivity.

    Taking down Christmas decorations this weekend, it hit me to craft a little poem, inspired by “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Just a little something to inspire y’all as we brace for this game.

    Hairy Dawg UGA #GoDawgs

    And now Pretty Southern is proud to present,’Twas the Night Before the National Championship

    ‘Twas the National Championship, when all through the South;
    Not a Bulldog was bragging, not even the loudest mouth

    After eating oranges over Michigan on New Year’s Eve;
    No one forgot what happened with Bama back in 2018

    Even with season failures to teams like Auburn and A&M;
    The Red & Black nation braced for Saban to beat us again

    The Dawgs up in Indy were tucked in their hotel beds;
    While visions of winning danced in their sweet heads

    Our boys in silver britches, and Coach Kirby in his cap,
    Said this was not the year to mess up another snap

    When out on the field there arose such a clatter,
    We sprang from our seats to see what was the matter.

    Away to the end zone, Stetson threw like a flash,
    Our offense showed up, and will continue to bash

    Jordan Davis holds our defense in his 6-foot-6 power
    We all know now was the time for UGA’s finest hour

    Because what did our scorned hearts most fear?
    But Bama once again crawling up on our rear

    Memories of past upsets came flushing back,
    We held onto hope we could thwart this attack

    Our coaches will watch ardently calling this game,
    They’ll holler, and shout, and praise them by name:

    “Now, Bennet! Now, Davis! Now Bowers, and Dean!
    Go Kendrick! Go Young! Saban don’t be so mean!

    To the top of the scoreboard! Let’s tear down this wall!
    Now pass away! Dash away! Score touchdowns for all!”

    We know in our hearts this team can carry us so high,
    And Larry in heaven sayin’ “sugar’s fallin’ from the sky”

    So up in the rankings, our Bulldogs had flown,
    We can’t handle another season that wasn’t our own

    And in just a few more hours, we’ll have final proof
    If Saban is really the devil, and that’s the real truth

    The Bulldog Nation does believe this win can do down;
    Even if it’s been 40 years since we won our last crown

    Hairy Dawg is ready to rock, all lit up for his team
    With UGA ten, our “Que” ready to smile and beam

    Millions will be watching, our Dawgs are back,
    And ready to prove we are the mightiest of a pack

    Our rings, how they can twinkle! Our trophy, so merry!
    The winners won’t be in crimson, but red like a cherry!

    Saban’s curt ‘lil mouth will yell, frown, and then pout
    His nickname is ‘bug zapper’ for when his eyes do pop-out

    The stumps of his legs carry up to grimacing teeth
    We can only pray this game will end with a wreath;

    Around his protégé Kirby’s neck, cementing his place
    As one of the greatest coaches, filled with much grace

    Our coach is a bit chubby and plump, but after COVID, who ain’t?
    We have to laugh at ourselves, because this isn’t for the faint

    Coming from a tough few years, we’re ready for a win
    Because what better way for this new year to begin?

    So now it’s game time, for the Dawgs to finish their work
    And we’re all done with the critics, so don’t be a jerk

    And so we close our thumbs to form into a fist,
    Our right arms are flexed, and curled at the wrist

    To commence the kickoff comes the sound of a whistle;
    That stadium will rock, and every fan will bristle

    The Bulldog Nation will cry from the roof

    “GOOO DAWGS! SIC EM! WOOF WOOF WOOF”

  • Nothing to Lose But A Perfect Record

    Nothing to Lose But A Perfect Record

    Editor’s note: this article is contributed by Shane Vaiskauskas whose last byline I’ve Never Been Here Before was published after UGA’s SEC Championship in 2018

    uga georgia football 2021 celebration
    Rivalry week. Hate week. Bedlam week. Blood week. The final week of the college football regular season has come and gone, and with it have gone the hopes and dreams of the preternatural 20-year old athletes who compete and the soft-bodied, well-heeled boosters who finance them.

    Michigan gave up 27 points to its rival at home in a snowstorm and the media was effusive in its praise. Georgia gave up 37 points to its rivals all season (Clemson, Auburn, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia Tech) and earned scarcely a word.
    Because, as Maitreyi Anantharaman over at Defector wrote, “the last chapter is all that matters.” Michigan overcame its 8-game drought against Ohio State in The Game, effectively ending the Buckeyes season in November for the first time in the better part of a decade. With a berth in the Big 10 Championship Game and a path to the College Football Playoff, their October loss to little brother Michigan State is a distant memory. Likewise, Oklahoma State dispatched rival Oklahoma in Bedlam for just the 19th time in 116 tries, setting up a date with Baylor for the Big 12 title and a likely CFP berth. And with that, its season-opening sleepwalks versus Missouri State and Tulsa are forgotten like a daydream.

    But now that the regular season is done and dusted, it’s time for a wake-up call: Georgia has put together the best defensive season in history. Statistically, only 1986 Oklahoma — yes, starring The Boz —allowed fewer points in the modern era, though few consider the power run offenses of 35 years ago “modern” any longer. This isn’t some statistical anomaly created by a dull ground-and-pound, clock-control offense that shortens the game and protects the defense; Georgia had the third-ranked scoring offense headed into the weekend and the sixth coming out, despite scoring 45 against Georgia Tech. Such is life when averaging 40+ points per game in 2021. It also averages the 12th-fewest plays per game—a full 10 plays fewer per game than any higher-ranked scoring offense this year—to boot.

    Not that this sort of defensive season needs more context, but it follows on the heels of two all-time great offenses in 2019 LSU and 2020 Alabama rewriting record books. With losses to both teams, the prolific passing attacks of its greatest SEC competition seemingly smashed Georgia’s entire defensive model and suggested, even according to defensive guru Nick Saban, that defense was dead in college football. To then witness the greatest defensive season in history amidst the most explosive offensive era in history, backed by a comparably explosive offense? This wasn’t supposed to be possible.

    Perhaps it’s poetic justice, then, that Georgia plays Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship Game this Saturday with nothing to lose but a perfect record.

    The Bulldogs and Tide teams have been on a crash course to meet in Atlanta all season, but few imagined the stakes for one side would be so low. As the last undefeated Power 5 team, Georgia’s ticket to the College Football Playoff is as good as punched. Beating Alabama in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where Georgia was agonizingly close in consecutive meetings in the 2017 CFP Championship and 2018 SEC Championship, would secure a top seed in the CFP, keep a potential 15-0 season intact, and emphatically exorcise a crimson and white demon from its psyche. Losing to Alabama would mean surprisingly little. Georgia risks a lower CFP seed, sure, and a likelihood of a rematch with Alabama in the CFP as well, but when betting with house money, a bad beat stings a lot less. Sites like 온라인카지노 are proven as trustworthy betting sites for sports fans out there.

    Because win or lose, the import of Saturday’s game won’t be known until a national champion is decided in January. Georgia hanging another SEC Championship banner won’t lessen the blow of failing to capitalize on such a historically great title opportunity. Conversely, the absence of the SEC banner will scarcely be noticed in Athens with a National Championship in the trophy case. That a season balances on this razor’s edge of immortality and irrelevance is one of the cruel realities of life in the upper stratosphere of college football. Everything turns to ash if you lose your final game, but winning cures all ailments.

    Because it really is all about that last chapter, and when you’re 12 games into a 12-win season, the last chapter doesn’t begin until New Year’s Eve. Though certainly, Georgia can close the book on Alabama this Saturday. Go Dawgs!

    Go Dawgs!

    Shane Vaiskauskas

    Shane Vaiskauskas is a management consultant who lives in New York City with his wife and their daughter, plus their growing collection of board games. Shane grew up outside of Atlanta and, after the better part of a decade, graduated from the University of Georgia in 2009. He hosts a moderately popular Dungeons & Dragons podcast called Total Party Thrill, and tweets about sports and other meaningless games, @Mundangerous.

    feature photo credit to Kathryn Skeean of The Red & Black. Follow Kathryn on Twitter as she’s one to watch as her career in photojournalism is just taking off

  • Huntsville, Alabama = America’s New Tech Hub

    Huntsville, Alabama = America’s New Tech Hub

    Huntsville, Alabama, was once a sleepy, farming town that you drove through on your way to Nashville.

    Well, folks, stand back because the Rocket City is on the move! Last year, Huntsville officially took the lead as Alabama’s largest city by the population at 215,006, edging out Birmingham for the top spot by just over 14,000 people.

    When you think of Huntsville, what comes to mind? Probably a rocket, right? Rightfully so, as Huntsville is also known as Rocket City! Why? It is the site of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, and the United States Army Aviation and Missile Command.

    Huntsville Alabama Space Center

    Why Rocket City?

    Huntsville earned national recognition during the Space Race of the 1960s. During this time, the U.S. government relocated a team of German rocket scientists to the area. It opened a NASA center that would design the Saturn V. This rocket sent Apollo astronauts to the moon!

    A landmark rocket now commemorates this historical event at U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Did you know that Huntsville, Alabama is home to the most significant space museum in the world?!

    Education is Key

    Huntsville residents pride themselves on being the most educated population in the state. They’d have to be, as a large portion of the population works in engineering thanks to the significant presence of NASA and the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal.

    The city has a strong tech industry that dominates the area’s local economy. Meaning, highly educated people are moving to Huntsville from all over the United States and the World! Wallethub recently ranked Huntsville among the Top 25 Most Educated Cities in America, and Forbes Magazine named Huntsville one of The World’s Smartest Cities.

    Reinvention Done Right

    Preserving Southern traditions while building a positive community and infrastructure is what the Rocket City has done. Huntsville’s city center has undergone a major renovation in recent years. An outbreak of new construction downtown means more shopping, dining, and housing options are available. Just west of downtown, an old cotton mill became a bustling arts center, and craft breweries and bars have sprung up in a renovated old middle school.

    How cool is that?!

    Welcome to the Final Frontier!

    Space is the true core of Huntsville’s identity. To get a better understanding of the area’s ties to all things outer space, visitors and residents alike can spend a day touring the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Here, they can learn about the history of space exploration. Also, The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is home to every kid’s bucket-list experience (and maybe some adults too), Space Camp!

    Space Camp

    Famous author and astronomer Mike Brown, a Huntsville native, has even said:

    “I grew up in Huntsville, Alabama, a thoroughly dedicated rocket town. The father of everyone I knew—mine included—was some sort of engineer working to build the Apollo rockets to send men to the moon.” ~ How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming

    Textiles, Art, & History

    If space doesn’t interest you, several other cultural attractions might! For example, the Alabama Constitution Hall Park gives visitors an inside perspective of life in Alabama in the 1800s. You can also visit The North Alabama Railroad Museum and the Historic Huntsville Depot, which highlight the history of train travel in north Alabama.
    Lowe Mill Arts & Entertainment is a renovated textile mill, the largest privately-owned arts center in the southern United States. That alone is reason enough to go! The Mill House artists work in various media, featuring live music and theater, and it also serves as Huntsville’s unofficial fine arts headquarters.

    The Huntsville Museum of Art also offers visitors a wide range of pieces across various permanent and traveling exhibits. The multipurpose Von Braun Center downtown hosts concerts, comedy tours, and dance performances, as well as games for the city’s minor league professional hockey team, the Huntsville Havoc.

    Diversity in the Deep South

    Huntsville has a significant international population, thanks to its high-tech sector. With such great diversity comes a fantastic culinary scene that offers everything from Vietnamese to German to Indian cuisine. In addition to superb international food, the city also provides a plethora of fabulous Southern cuisine, including delicious barbeque and several farm-to-table concept restaurants.

    Huntsville Alabama City Scene

    Music & Vitamin-D Vibes

    Who doesn’t love sunshine and music? Because the climate in Huntsville is warm most of the year, outdoor concerts and events are easy to come by. The downtown area hosts outdoor shows, movies, and food truck rallies almost every weekend (except in winter). Monte Sano State Park is a favorite with hikers and mountain bikers. Are you a water enthusiast? They have something for you too! Boaters often head to the beautiful, nearby Tennessee River for a day out on the water.

    Who Lives in Huntsville?

    There’s housing and entertainment for young professionals and suburbs with affordable housing and great schools for families. The city has been dubbed an up-and-coming tech hub, bringing people from all over the world for job opportunities.

    Due to the extensive defense and technology sector, it’s also a popular place for military retirees. Higher education institutions in the area – including Alabama A&M University and the University of Alabama–Huntsville – make Rocket City a great college scene as well!

    Why is Huntsville Growing?

    The Huntsville area was, and is, very resilient to the pandemic and the challenges that have come with it. Since the city is such a large tech hub, many people could work from home and still do so today. Because of this, there wasn’t significant job loss, and many people took telework positions out of Huntsville during the pandemic and later relocated there. It appears that Huntsville is doing something—many things—right!

    Whether you’re looking for a new place to call home or a just fun weekend trip, “Sweet Home Alabama” has something for everyone in Huntsville!

  • Oh, Eudora!

    Oh, Eudora!

    Eudora Welty is an iconic Southern writer who brought life to every single word she ever wrote.

    Eudora Welty Pretty Southern writer

    When many of us think of Eudora Welty, we probably picture an older lady with silver hair and endless words of wisdom. However, just like us, Welty was once a child too. Her insight was gained through life experiences and influenced by the culture of the Mississippi Delta.

    Her words became almost tangible to readers when there was only text, and they often instilled hope and humor during eras of great despair.

    The Beginnings of Eudora Welty 

    Born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, on North Congress Street, Eudora Welty was the oldest of three children and a prominent insurance executive’s daughter. Perhaps her love of reading and writing began at an early age, as it has been said that her Mother once risked her life to save her collection of Dickens novels from a house fire!

    “I cannot remember a time when I was not in love with them–with the books themselves, cover and binding and the paper they were printed on, with their smell and their weight and with their possession in my arms, captured and carried off to myself.” — Eudora on her work

    Unlike many iconic writers, Welty was not a tortured artist; her childhood was pretty ideal. After attending college at the Mississippi State College for Women, The University of Wisconsin at Madison, and Columbia University, Welty finally returned home to her beloved Mississippi.

    Young Eudora Welty

     

    The Great Documentarian 

    Returning to Jackson brought challenges as she struggled to find solid job prospects in 1931. She worked in radio and newspaper before signing on as a publicity agent for the Works Progress Administration. This position required her to travel the back roads of rural Mississippi, taking pictures and writing press releases. She might have taken this job out of necessity at first; however, these trips connected her with the same people who would soon shape her short stories and novels and developed her deep love for photography.

    Welty’s longtime friend and fellow writer William Maxwell once said: “It obliged her to go where she would not otherwise have gone and see people and places she might not ever have seen. A writer’s material derives nearly always from experience. Because of this job, she came to know the state of Mississippi by heart and could never come to the end of what she might want to write about.”

    It has been said that even if Welty never published a single word, she would have likely secured her legacy as a gifted documentarian of the Great Depression through her photographs of that time.

    Jackson MS, State Fair, Photographed by Eudora Welty

    Passion & Heart

    Eudora Welty had a tremendous heart. Her observation skills and ability to connect with people were unmatched. Welty attributes much of this to observing her parents as a young child simply because she loved them.

    “Long before I wrote stories, I listened for stories. Listening for them is something more acute than listening to them. I suppose it’s an early form of participation in what goes on. Listening children know stories are there. When their elders sit and begin, children are just waiting and hoping for one to come out, like a mouse from its hole.” ― Eudora Welty, One Writer’s Beginnings

    Much like real life, all of Welty’s characters are flawed. Aren’t we all? However, despite their flaws, she still wanted the best for them. You can feel the passion and belief she instills in her characters in almost all of her stories.

    Welty was not a Civil Rights activist during the 1960s, and she took quite a bit of criticism for being too quiet during the earlier years of the Civil Rights Movement. However, Welty’s power and voice came from her pen when she wrote: “Where is the Voice Coming From?” Welty wrote this piece overnight in June of 1963 after hearing the tragic news that Medgar Evers had been assassinated in Jackson, Mississippi.

    “Where is the Voice Coming From?” is a story narrated by the man who had killed Evers. Welty wrote this, of course, before Byron de la Beckwith had been identified and charged with the crime.

    Her imaginative portrayal of the murderer was so accurate that before she published it, she revised it to move the setting from Jackson. The title of her story asks readers where that voice, this voice of hatred and prejudice…where does it come from?

    Mississippi Made 

    Mississippi’s geography, history, culture, and politics are a powerful presence throughout Welty’s writing career. The novel Delta Wedding (1946) and the story “Powerhouse” are set in the Mississippi Delta. Her best-selling book, Losing Battles (1970), is set in the kudzu-covered hills of northeast Mississippi.

    Welty was known as one of America’s greatest writers. This title earned Eudora many national and international honors, including a Pulitzer Prize for fiction for her novel, “The Optimist’s Daughter.”

    “Colleges keep inviting me because I’m so well behaved,” Welty once remarked in explaining her popularity at the podium. “I’m always on time, and I don’t get drunk or hole up in a hotel with my lover.” That type of dry wit and modesty was a trademark of Ms. Welty’s!

    Eudora Welty’s words are her legacy.

    Welty never married or had children and was often mocked for her quiet and simple life. Welty didn’t fit the stereotype of a literary genius as she was not the tortured artist type, nor did she live that kind of lifestyle. Welty was quiet, humble, and did not seek fame, status, or riches. She lived in the same house for more than 70 years! And spoke with anyone who wanted to talk with her; in fact, it was not uncommon for her to invite them in for a chat.

    Eudora Welty's Home in Jackson, MS

    These recollections of Eudora’s social graces are not surprising! She was a woman and a writer who connected so well with not only Mississippi but also the world around her! How else could she write about people and relationships in such a beautiful and authentic manner if she wasn’t truly connecting with people herself?

    “As you have seen, I am a writer who came of a sheltered life, a sheltered life can be a daring life as well. For all serious daring starts from within.”

    In one of her final interviews before her death in 2001, Eudora Welty was at her home and made a profound comment about her garden in proper Eudora form. “The garden is gone. It makes me ill to look at it. But I’m not complaining. It’s just the state of things.” Welty adored gardening, and mentions over 150 different kinds of plants in her writings.

    What a blessing it is to have the words of this wise and wonderful woman to inspire us in our relationships with people and our gardens of life.

    eudora_welty_southern_writer_legacy

     

  • The Generation of First Responders

    The Generation of First Responders

    It feels like my adult life started the week of 9/11

    statue-of-liberty-9:11-September-11-mike-luckovich-ajc

    I was 16 years old and sitting in my high school math class when the intercom came on announcing the first World Trade Center building being hit. Our teacher turned on the tv and we watched in horror as another plane barreled into the second tower.

    If you’re old enough to remember, you’ll never forget where you were when you first heard the news on September 11. It’s a collective trauma we share as adults.

    Everyone knows what came next: 3,000 of our fellow Americans dead, thousands of troops heading to Afghanistan, tracking down Osama bin Laden, and the start of this endless war on terror. We praised and prayed for our military and first responders who answered the call that day and continue to do so.

    In the spring of 2003, my senior year of high school, President George W. Bush held a rally in our gymnasium which was supposed to be a talk about the economy. As editor of the student newspaper, I got to attend.

    Harrison High School is in Cobb County, one of the richest and reddest districts in Georgia. The president’s speech about being pro-business lasted all of two minutes before he said:

    “And that’s why we need to go to war in Iraq.”

    The gym erupted in applause. At the time, Governor Sonny Perdue sat on stage next to our school’s principal beaming, wearing nearly identical suits, their legs were crossed in the same manner until they stood clapping for W.

    What I didn’t know is something we’re all coming to realize now – Cobb County is the center of poor decision-making in Georgia, from its COVID-19 response, to pilfering tax dollars for projects like the new Braves stadium.

    Special interest, big business, and Big Oil are collectively what’s caused Iraq, Afghanistan, and the conflicts across the Middle East to become our modern Vietnam. These unwinnable wars resulted in countless tragedies due to mismanagement.

    In the two decades that have passed since September 11, I’ve come to understand so much about the way the world works that I wish I could have told my teenage self. We live in a time of constant disruption. And society decided that my generation would be called ‘millennials’ for coming of age in this post-Y2K world.

    But I think my age bracket, the 30-somethings who were nearly adults on 9/11, and the 20-somethings who were old enough to understand what was happening, we’re not millennials y’all because we know what life was like in a pre-September 11 world.

    So this year, on Sept. 11, 2021, here’s what I believe my generation should be called.

    We are the Generation of First Responders

    We’re the generation that has spent 20 of our formative years remembering the tragedy of 9/11. Twenty years ago, we watched our fellow Americans fall from the towers, and last month we saw Afghanis clinging onto planes leaving their country.

    We saw the first mass school shooting at Columbine in 1999, then years later we continued to cry, pray, and rage over the mass shootings in Newtown, Parkland, Pulse night club, and countless others, despite no changes in the laws to prevent deranged people from hurting our fellow citizens.

    We are the ones who continue to march and protest for the same causes that our parents and grandparents did, hoping for peace in a violent world.

    We recognize that our fellow Americans who are brown, black, Muslim, AAPI, and anyone who looks different than those in charge are still fighting for equality.

    We want to create meaningful change for everyone, especially those whose voices are continuously ignored.

    We’re the generation that grew up with Captain Planet and increasingly hotter years, where the first glaciers officially disappeared, polar bears starved, and the Great Barrier reef died off.

    We’re the generation of Ferngully watching the world burn, scorching plants, animals, and our fellow humans.

    We’re the generation that’s eating plastic because there’s so much of it in our oceans, rivers, and fisheries, thus in the food we put in our mouths.

    We are still consuming fossil fuels at an insatiable rate with a mass shift to renewable energy still years away.

    We are the first generation in 100 years having to deal with a global pandemic. Our friends are the parents of small children who grow up wearing masks, like the n95 mask, to school because the adults in charge mismanaged the spread of COVID.

    We are begging our family, friends, and loved ones to do something as simple as go get a shot, but ideology and self-interest prevent them from doing it for public health. With voluntary contributions from doctors like walk-in gynecologist and so on, many walk-in clinics are being established in various areas of the country which will be very easily accessible to all nearby people. Click here to know more about them in detail.

    We are the ones who will be responsible for stopping the spread of infectious diseases, disinformation, and working to prevent more disasters.

    We’re the generation that has to act. We have to be the first ones to respond.

    There’s so much to do, and it feels impossible to fix these massive problems. But it starts with courage. Are we as brave as the first responders on 9/11 to step up and answer the call?

    We can start by speaking out. We can take time to understand the ways we can change the world.

    We can put forth the good effort, our money, and resources, towards actions and missions that are helping heal our broken society.

    We continue to pray for our troops, our first responders, and for our politicians in charge, but God gave us working bodies and minds that also need to do more.

    Professor Conrad Fink told my class of journalism students at UGA that it was our parents, the adults, who made this world and it would be up to us to report on the state of it, then help to change it.

    It is truly up to us now, this Generation of First Responders.

    Nothing about this world is normal. We are constantly facing a new normal. Our anger and fear have been normalized because it’s the only way we can get through the day.

    We were not the first responders. The first wave of responders were the heroes of September 11, those who wear a uniform with honor, and our healthcare workers.

    We are the next wave of responders. We are the ones who are willing to do the hardest things. We don’t have to be collectively scared but can get through anything if we put our hearts and souls to it.

    So in the next 20 years, I hope we can build a better future. I pray we can come together as Americans, the same way we did on 9/11, where it wasn’t about a red team or blue team but truly one nation under God. Indivisible. With liberty and justice for all.

    Editor’s note — this editorial cartoon is by the incredible Mike Luckovich of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It’s stuck with me in my mind and heart over the last 20 years