I remember hearing someone from the Low Country speak in the Gullah dialect. Two of my good friends from school were from the James Allen area. I had never traveled outside of the upper state of South Carolina until I went to college, and just to hear someone speak Gullah was so fascinating to me. I didn’t understand a word they were saying. It was just so fascinating, and I would just stand in awe when I heard someone from that area speak.
I recall going with one of my friends to their parent’s home for a crab crack that night. We sat outside around the big black wash pot in the backyard cooking and although I did not eat seafood, they were eating crab, and I was sitting there in awe, listening to all the conversations. That’s the most fascinating language I have ever heard.
And lo and behold, years later, I ended up being a social worker in that area, and the families invited me in. They cooked meals for me every time I would come. So, I was always sitting there eating red rice with the families over conversations, getting to know them and writing their stories so that they can adopt a child. And then a few years later, I ended up marrying someone from that area. So, I’m still married for over 35 years now, to someone from the Low Country area. They love to hear me talk with my upper-state accent, and I truly am fascinated by the Gullah dialect that they speak.
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