Introduction: Red Dirt Girl

I’ve been mulling over starting a blog of my own for a few months now. My job requires me to research blogs, so I’ve seen all different types. I enjoy reading other people’s thoughts about varying subjects (although I mostly read about books). J So, what can I write about? What do I know of the world? I know me. The cliché theme with a blog of this nature is that it will be an "outlet" for the author, so, yes, I will choose that as one of my objectives.

I am not by any means aiming for this to be a hardcore, top-notch, public blog; I just want to get back to writing. Writing helps me understand my own thoughts, and it helps me learn. Grammar is something I enjoy playing with, and I will exercise my knowledge of it and aim for improvement in my writing here. I’ll probably write on a few different topics over the duration of this blog – about things I enjoy – about my life in Nashville – about books (and maybe a few movies) – about becoming an adult – about my experiences thus far – about faith – and of course, about Miss Bella.

Miss Bella. Those big brown eyes will melt your heart.

That decided, I must now consider one of the most important things about writing: Audience. I expect my audience to be my mother, my grandmother, a few friends, and a coworker or two. Or maybe no one. I just want to write and set my thoughts in the stone of this blog.

Coming up with the blog name was a bit of a challenge. Of course, I Googled guidelines on ways to create a good blog name, etc., etc. I brainstormed with myself, a pen, and some paper. I made a list of different things I like, and I desperately wanted to discover a brilliant—and of course short—Latin phrase. I wondered what would best describe me as a person and also be somewhat professional, considering my most excellent employer. And that was difficult in English.

Finally, I checked out available names and made my decision.
Red Dirt Girl.
I think it’s appropriate. I’m from a small town in Alabama and have been on a few dirt roads in my time. But truthfully, my history can't take credit for my blog name. I must give credit where credit is due: this blog name comes from Miranda Lambert’s hit record “Revolution,” specifically track number six, “Airstream Song.” Miranda has said that her goal is to write songs that make people think. This is a prime example. I just love this song:

“Sometimes I wish I lived in an Airstream / Homemade curtains, lived just like a gypsy / Break a heart, roll out of town / ‘Cause gypsies never get tied down / Sometimes I wish I lived on a mountain / Drank from a stream instead of a fountain / I’d stay there, top of the world / But I was born a red dirt girl / Unbridled or tethered and tied / The safety of the fence or the danger of the ride / I’ll always be unsatisfied / Sometimes I wish I lived by a pier / In a lighthouse with a chandelier / I’d watch everybody’s ships come in / And then I’d sail away with them / Unanchored in the storm / Or safely on the shore / If this is all I need, why do I want more / Sometimes I wish I lived in an airstream / Homemade curtains, lived just like a gypsy.”

And that wraps up my first ever blog post, introducing you to the Red Dirt Girl.
I hope to come up with a few interesting topics to write about and share with you.

P.S. If you’ve only heard a few of Miranda Lambert's earlier songs and are wondering about her, check out her Bio here: http://www.mirandalambert.com/about/.

Miranda Lambert