SAVING HIS SOUL

My Entertainer of the Year (Kenny Chesney really won)

I have a rule. I believe that anyone worth their salt likes country music. I would and often do go as far as to say that if you don't like country music, then you don't have a soul. Oh sure, I have friends that I love dearly that claim they don't like country. I think they're lying. Or maybe they are in denial. They just don't KNOW that they like country music yet. I mean where else can you play music backwards and get your dog back, your wife back, your house and your job back. Sorry, I know it's an old joke, but I love it anyway. I crack myself up sometimes. I'm corny like that.

What I love about country music is that it usually tells a story. Sometimes the story is humorous. Sometimes it's sad. Sometimes it's a delightfully sappy love story. But almost without fail there are some good old fashioned, wholesome values there that cannot be denied even when we're talking about drinking whisky and reading the bible in the same song.

As I write this post, I am watching the 42^nd Annual CMA Awards ceremony. Country music is so much more than Conway Twitty twang. Not that there is anything wrong with that genre. I love me some twangy music too. But country is so much more than just that. My parents love(d) country. My kids love it. It's the one area of music that we can all agree on and survive a roadtrip.

And then of course, there's Brad Paisley. I love his humor and his musicality. I mean, what's not to love about a song that says, "I wanna check you for ticks."?

I have a problem. Daughter #2 has fallen for a boy who claims he doesn't like country music. And he seems like such a nice boy too. I told you about them, remember. I showed you their picture. Cute kid. Well mannered. Comes from a good family. Wants to be a lawyer. (OK, so he's not perfect.) But how can I allow D2 to continue this romance if the guy doesn't have a soul!

So, I've started a campaign to save his soul. For the last few days, I have been emailing him songs trying to convince him that he really does like country music and then I can rest knowing that he does indeed have a soul. Below is a copy of the correspondence that has taken place thus far:

From: Smart Mouth Broad

Date: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 10:01 pm

Subject: Just trying to save your soul

To: Nole Boy

Attachment: Brad Paisley's "Waitin on a Woman"

This may not convince you to like country but it might help to

understand why you're always waiting. LOL

But I will convince you that you like country if it kills me.

I'm sure you do have a soul.

From: Nole Boy

Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 12:07 AM

To: Smart Mouth Broad

Subject: Nice try!!!!!

Haha, Well unfortunately Mrs. Broad that one just didn't appeal to me.

But it did sound alot like D2 : ).

You can keep trying but I'm warning you I'm one tough cookie and I

don'tcrack easily. So I look foward to more attempts to save my

soul,lol.

Gotta admire the kid for sticking to his convictions.

From: Smart Mouth Broad

Date: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 7:35 pm

Subject: RE:Nice try!!!!!

To: Nole Boy

Attachment: Darius Rucker's "Don't Think I Don't Think About It"

OK, strike one.

How about this one? He's African American. It's almost rap. LOL And it's

Hootie!

Let me know.

:-) SMB

And his answer:

So that's what happened to Hootie.... But where are the Blowfish????

It actually wasn't terrible,

but it's going to take a lot more than that to make me a fan, lol.

So far, no luck. What's a girl to do?

Then it came to me! That light bulb moment. What is it that Oprah says? "AHA!" Yeah, that's it. I have millions of more than three readers who can help me out here. I need some suggestions. What songs can I send that will guarantee success? And please be quick about it. Christmas is coming and I don't want to have to buy this guy a gift if he doesn't have a soul and he'll be history before New Years!

***Note**

I received an email last night at 1am from Nole Boy. (He's a college kid and keeps those kind of hours)

It appears that Nole Boy feels that if I am trying to convert him to my country way of thinking that it's "only fair" that he open my eyes to the joys of, Lord, save us, RAP music. We (like how I've included you) have to step it up a notch, people. Because I love all music but rap just makes me want to hurt someone. Don't let that happen. I need to accomplish my goal even faster now, puleeeeze! It's GAME ON!