When Life Hands You Grapes by Michelle Murrill

9 Things Mobilians Understand That No One Else Will

Posted on June 16, 2017     Leave a Comment

Every city has a personality and only those that live there can truly understand and appreciate it. This is never truer than in Mobile, a city that constantly surprises with new idiosyncrasies while remaining interesting with older ones that created the Port City’s character in the first place. Here are nine things only Mobilians will understand about the place they call home.

1. Mardi Gras Is Ours
   1. New Orleans can say whatever they want because Mobilians know the truth. Bienville and Iberville started Carnival here on 27-Mile Bluff in 1703, more than 20 years before they took it to the Bayou. When the Civil War took away the festivities for a while, it was Mobilian Joe Cain who brought it back with a racket still celebrate today on Joe Cain Day (a holiday no other Carnival city can claim). It’s a fact that Mobilians are proud of and will quickly “educate” anyone who says otherwise.
2. Dauphin Island Is Awesome
   1. Gulf Shores and Orange Beach get the accolades and the tourists and the HGTV shows—and deservedly so—but Mobilians know the true treasure lies on Dauphin Island. We’re ok with the secret not getting out because that stretch of land is perfect for those of us just needing a quick day in the sun. The Gulf on one side provides the necessary white beaches while the Bay on the other side gives boaters and kayakers inlets and open areas to take advantage of the water.
3. Mobile Is Strangely Haunted
   1. Savannah claims to be the nation’s most haunted city and it’s one it came by honestly, but travelers looking to head west for a bit of spook won’t be disappointed with what they find in Mobile. The old mansions all have their own tales of household ghosts and the countless battles in the city have left an eerie air. The city itself is haunted—don’t believe me? Head to Church Street Cemetery and research the Boyington Oak.
4. The Architecture is Second to None
   1. Take a ride down Government Street and you’ll see buildings boasting every type of architecture from Roman Gothic to French Revival. The different cultural influences are evident in every building that dots the cities historical areas. And it’s not just the front face. Head inside the Battle House Hotel to try out the “Whispering Arch.” While in Cathedral Square, look up to admire the domes of the Basilica. If you need to take it all in at once, visit the History Museum’s Doll Room where miniature dollhouses of Mobile’s grandest architectural beauties are open for viewing.
5. Mobile’s Cultural Door is Wide Open
   1. Sitting at the bottom of the state known as “The Heart of Dixie,” Mobile seems like it would be the epitome of the Deep South and in many ways it is; but the city also has something many others in the area don’t. As we will see in the next point, Mobile is home to major international industries leading to a city teeming with different cultures. Those of us who’ve grown up here have often gone to school or church with those of different nationalities. It opens a door to unique cuisines and traditions (like the Dragon Race at the Battleship) that those of us from Mobile are lucky enough to learn from. It makes sense for a city that has been a part of six different nations throughout its history.
6. The City is Hugely Important to Industry
   1. A ride over the Africatown Bridge is like a glimpse into worldwide industry. From Austal to Airbus, some of the world’s biggest companies set up shop in Mobile and for those of us from the area, we know it’s the perfect place for such businesses. The warm weather, dry inland and access to waterways are ideal. We also know to look up when heading into the Bankhead Tunnel westbound for an up-close look at Austal’s next big project.
7. It’s Becoming an Entertainment Hotspot
   1. For a while there you couldn’t walk around downtown without finding yourself in a Nicholas Cage photo-op. The state’s tax incentives have brought production companies to the area where they take advantage of the vast landscapes (pine forests to beaches), range of cityscapes (historical to modern), access to unique settings (Battleship Park alone offers everything you need for a WWII movie) and swings of weather (you can shoot a rain scene and blue-sky scene in the same afternoon!) to shoot movies, music videos, marketing tools, and more. And it’s not just film; the music scene provides Mobilians with intimate concerts at places like the Soul Kitchen and major headliners at The Wharf and Hangout Festival—the latter of which fills MTV programming for three straight days!  
8. Mobile Is One of the Nation’s Oldest Cities
   1. For years Mobile was known as the City of Six Flags, due to the different nation’s it has flown under through the years. It’s one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in American and one of the first founded communities. Started in 1702, the city has been through 300 years of wars and nationality shifts and celebrations and political events, giving it a deep and versatile history that few other cities can even begin to boast.
9. The Food Can’t Be Beat
   1. People want to tell you that it’s the surrounding areas that know how to do their respective foods right. New Orleans has the Creole\Cajun cuisine; Birmingham has mastered barbeque and it’s only the south that sits in the foothills of the Appalachians, Smokies and Ozarks that really know how to do down home cooking, right? Wrong. While each of those areas are deserving in their own right, here in Mobile we’ve found a way to tap into all of them, not as a way of stealing, but just by the good grace of being in an area that holds all of the same qualities of those other places. Throw in the seafood that is always fresh from the Gulf and you really can’t find a better place for foodies to thrive.

Why Does Success Always Come With Enemies? Does It Have To Be This Way?

Posted on June 7, 2017     Leave a Comment

The ladder to the top is built on the shoulders of those below you. Even if you were able to achieve success without stepping on anyone to get there, this is still unfortunately the first thing others will assume when viewing your rise. But why is this the case? Why does success come with enemies, and does it really have to be this way?

The most common reason these two are synonymous is simply bitterness. You were able to achieve something that someone else was not and they’re upset—usually at themselves more than anything for feeling like they’ve failed but it’s much easier to direct that at the one they envy. It’s important to remember that they don’t hate your success; they begrudge the fact that you were able to obtain it when they couldn’t for whatever reason. The easiest thing to combat this is to offer support.  You don’t want to come off haughty because that will only make the problem worse. If you humbly share your expertise as a way to help someone else get to the same point as yourself, then you’re taking what could have been an opportunity for them to be bitter and turning it into a feeling of appreciation. Make sure you share your mistakes so the other person doesn’t feel as bad for those they will inevitably make one day in the future.

Another reason success comes with enemies is because you might have actually stepped on someone else to get to where you are. Before you protest, just remember this doesn’t necessarily make you a bad person—even though you want to avoid this at all cost. The sad reality is though that it’s a dog eat dog world and it’s easy to get caught up in the race sometime. This leads to people doing what they must do to succeed. If you’ve found yourself in this situation it’s important to take responsibility. There are going to be people mad at you and they have every right to feel that way. When they do, apologize. Owning up to your actions and learning from them is vital to personal growth. We’ll never be at the top of the ladder forever, so on your next climb make sure to reach out to those working around you and offer support; also, don’t be afraid to ask for theirs. This gives them a sense of pride to be able to help you and in doing so you’ve created a mutual trust and partnership. As you grow in your success, you’ll create a web of support. By doing so you’ll find it’s much easier to move up if you’re helping each other as opposed to fighting each other to the top.

For years the rule has been that achievements would be met with scorn. This can become the exception though. While it’s normal for success to come with enemies, just remember there are ways to change that and they start with you.

When Life Hands You Grapes- Squash the Bitterness

Written by Guest Blogger- Kassidy

Mornings Suck

Posted on June 2, 2017     Leave a Comment

Sorry, not sorry about the language. I know some people love mornings and wake up ready to face the day. You people are what I call “magical morning marvels” (or weirdos-whatever). I wake up after all 4 of my alarms have gone off, I have hit snooze on each one at least twice and my husband has thrown a pillow(or something else) at me to get out of the bed.  Believe me, I have tried so hard to find a way to make waking up easier, sleeping medicine, going to bed earlier, sleeping with the TV off, prayer (lots of prayer), and finally I just accepted it. It is part of who I am. Here are 5 Reasons weekday mornings suck:

• During the school year no one can find anything before 7:45am. Shoes are lost, homework is nowhere to be found, glasses are MIA and even the dogs go missing. (Yes I have been late trying to track down a rouge pug that decided to take himself for a morning walk.) There are days I threaten to send my kids to school with one shoe. I am sure I would get a call about a uniform infraction, but I am thinking it would be worth it.
• It takes me 729 tries to leave my house. Somehow I forget every-singl- thing I need when I walk to the car. Then I have to come in to get each item individually. I can’t remember them all at once. No, I have to keep making repeat trips inside the house to make sure I wake everyone else up. “Keys are important”, must go back for those. “Wait, where did I put my phone?” “Man, I am going to need my Ipad today”, back in I go. “Did I put on makeup? Let me grab my makeup bag, maybe I can put it on when I get to the office.” Now my youngest has woken up and he wants breakfast.
• Waking up a teenager (OEW) is like poking a grumpy, hormonal bear. Yeah some mornings she sets her alarm, but some morning genetics kick in and she snoozes that baby 4 times and it’s over. Her precious little Face scrunches up at me and makes noises I have not heard before. (I can’t say I blame her)
• Waking up an 8 year old (SA) is like something out of a zombie movie. He refuses to get out of bed so we have to carry him to our bathroom to get him ready. (notice I said we, yeah my husband, BD, is usually in charge of this task). Once we sit him on the ground he usually refuses to open his eyes, which makes using the restroom and brushing his teeth super fun!
• The tunnel traffic is rough in the morning y’all. I only have to drive across the bay in the mornings about twice a week. Don’t get me wrong, if I had left earlier (see above regarding missing shoes, pugs, and cell phones) then the drive would be very beautiful and enjoyable, but I didn’t, so it’s not. If it rains, you can forget about getting to or from Mobile. And why for the love of sweet little baby Jesus does everyone hit their brakes in the tunnel?

I want to clarify; weekend mornings are a completely different story. No alarms, no missing keys, no tunnel traffic, or brake lights, just coffee and snuggles. I love sitting on the back porch, sipping my coffee while watching the egrets catch their breakfast in the retention pond behind out house. Usually after about 30 minutes or so one of kiddos wakes up and joins me and it’s the start to a great day. This must be what the “magical morning marvels” experience on weekday mornings. I wish I could say I would change, but it is unlikely. I am not a morning person. Sorry, not sorry.

When Life Hands You Grapes, Hit Snooze.