Y is for Y’all

Gratitude, Peace 3 Minutes

First off, I didn’t grow up in Oklahoma saying, “Y’all.” I grew up saying, “You guys!” Y’all is very Texan. Correct me if you are from another state that says, “Y’all.” However, as I’ve lived in Texas for twenty-six years, I now find myself saying “Ya’ll,” (occasionally) especially when I need more than one person’s attention or when frustrations follow.

I wanted to write about YouTube today because YouTube starts with Y. I listen to music through my headphones everyday for an hour or so while I walk in the mornings and then often in the evenings accompanied by wine and Kody. Life goes on with music and YouTube.

Then a couple of days ago as I wrote W is for Walk on the Wild Side, my laptop crashed, as in, my hard drive crashed. I felt like a complete idiot for not backing up my work—my writing for school this semester is possibly gone. Life almost did not go on. Thank God for my iPhone! But do you know who is a computer genius? Kody. Thank God for Kody! He has ordered my new hard drive and will install, Y’all!

I hate to even whine with the world-wide economic downturn, and I hate to add gloom to the current doom. I’m straddling the line of guilt and gratitude for housing and income, for food and cars, and for our needs being met. We have the means for a solution to the laptop problem. It’s possible that I have lost some of my work, but I’ve lost things before, and life moves on.

Anyway, I’m not sure what I would’ve said about YouTube except for that I find balance in the music just as I find balance in writing and walking.

Speaking of walks, I like to start at a brisk pace to get the ol’ heart rate up. Over the course of an hour, my music slows down along with my feet, and the tunes become progressively girlier. If you happen to be following, you might even hear me singing or notice the occasional melodramatic hand gesture as my feet hit the pavement. Anyone care for my playlist?

“New Breed” by James BKS featuring Q-Tip, Idris Elba, and Little Simz

https://youtu.be/5Pc7TJZUx8o

“Lose Control” by Meduza, Becky Hill, and Goodboys

https://youtu.be/b7kxtIGaNpw

“Hideaway” by Kiesza

https://youtu.be/Vnoz5uBEWOA

“All About that Bass” by Postmodern Julebox

https://youtu.be/aLnZ1NQm2uk

“Crazy” by Angela Ricci

https://youtu.be/f2jgdsHzDf4

“Hit the Road Jack” by Becca Krueger

https://youtu.be/OfUDsHtSv88

And the cool thing about YouTube is how it takes your requests and follows them with other songs you might like. Sometimes our evenings are hip-hoppier or more alternative or more Americana folk. Sometimes Kody chooses and then I choose, and we go back and forth like that. It’s called balance, Y’all.

This is my second to last A-Z blogging challenge post. Let’s Z what I can conjure up for tomorrow. The rest can be found here in case Y’all want more:

A is for Apple and B is for Boozer and C is for Champagne and Chanel No. 5 and D is for Dad and E is for Epiphany and F is for Faith + Gratitude = Peace + Hope and G is for Great _______ and H is for Hatbox and Honeysuckle and I for an I and J is for Jesus and K is for Kody and L is for the Lovely Lauren and M is for the Marvelous Misti and a Dirty Martini and N is for the Numbers and O is for the Oversized Owl and P—Prayer and My Grandmother’s Pearls and R is for Ripples Colliding and S is for Siblings and T is for the Tomlinsons and U is for Untamed and V is for Violoncello, Voices, and a Vision and W is for Walk on the Wild Side and X is for That Time I Xeroxed My Face

Published by Crystal Byers

When I was young, my dad would always say, "Crystal, you can choose your attitude." One day I chose to believe him.

Published

55 thoughts on “Y is for Y’all”

      1. I was born in Hampton Virginia, but most of my relatives are from North Carolina. Now, hubby and I live in South Carolina. So saying Ya’ll is a normal part of conversation. haha

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      1. Y’all know I am not from Texas. Youtube is amazing for what you can find, when I was having trouble relighting my hot water tank I found a helpful youtube and got it going again. Same again when I decided to sod my lawn, there was a youtube on how to do it. Let’s not forget the movies like Gregory Peck, and John Wayne. Soon you be finished your challenge !

        Liked by 1 person

      2. My husband replaced the digital screen in my Lexus once—it controlled the music, A/C, and everything else. The dealership quoted me thousands. Kody did it with YouTube and a spark plug for less than $20 (and an entire day). 💤

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  12. Love embracing dialect terms – it’s actually quite amazing how many American colloquialisms enter the vernacular here in the UK. Probably largely the influence of Hollywood but I’m not one of these English teachers that turns their nose up at these kind of influences. Great grooves in your playlist by the way. Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thought Badger, so you’re telling me you’re an English teacher? Me, too, on hiatus. Happy you enjoyed my tunes and my over abundance of “y’all.” Thanks for visiting!

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  13. I have to search for your blog as it’s not showing in reader… and I knew you had to have posted!!! I’ll try listen to them tomorrow….
    You’re allowed to whine. Doesn’t make you less grateful for what is.
    Just z left… can you believe it???
    💕💕💕🕯🕯🕯✨✨✨

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    1. I hate to hear that. I wonder if it has something to do with my settings while posting from my phone—W, X, Y. Normally, I post from my laptop. Thanks for commiserating, Eliza! Z is ready for the big reveal. (I can’t believe it.)

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      1. I must’ve unfollowed you. Or got unfollowed. Or something 🙂

        You’re finished! And you stayed with it…… it was fun to read and I loved all you wrote. Now you won’t have the pressure of daily posts but you still can. Whatever works for you…

        💕💕💕💕💕

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      2. 🙌🏻 I’m trying to decide what might work. I’ve fallen behind in school this past month—especially with my computer situation. However, this little accomplishment inspires me to keep pushing forward. ✨💕✨

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      3. First get back on target with school and your memoir…. then post. Depends how long it took you or takes you…. your masters is way more important!!!
        💕💕💕💕💕🕯✨

        Liked by 1 person

  15. I once heard the great Red Skelton say, “You can always tell a Texan. You can’t tell them much but you can always tell them.” Stay safe, be happy. Jerry

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  16. Hi Crystal,
    Definitely no “y’alls” over here for me over in Sydney, Australia. I use “Hi” but “hey” has been creeping in with teens with American cultural influences. I’m not from a “G’day Mate” background and this is also more of a term men aka “blokes” would use.
    I checked out the first two songs on your play list and really liked: “Lose Control” by Meduza, Becky Hill, and Goodboys and posted it on my Facebook page, so will be interested to see the response.
    I’m enjoying your series and am experiencing it in reverse no the challenge is over. Youtube has now taken me to cello music by Hauser. It’s rather psychic because I play the violin, although my son who is a great fan of listen to the Two Cellos had me look that up which is probably the trigger.
    I’m sorry to hear about your computer difficulties. Just because the coronavirus is going on, it doesn’t mean there aren’t other problems and that we’re not entitled to feel annoyed, disappointed, sad, angry about them.
    Here in Australia, we had those severe and devastating bush fires and apparently people hard hit by them are feeling neglected because of the coronavirus. As a person who lives with disability and chronic health all the time and my needs get swept under the carpet by people, Church, friends, family, government, we can also feel even more invisible than ever atm. I really believe it’s important to be able to express the full range of our emotions, but perhaps need to be selective of how,who and where we do it. I know a few over-sharers on Facebook and it doesn’t really bother me but I have thought about having a face to face chat about it.
    Hope you have a good weekend and are keeping safe. What’s the situation with the coronavirus infection rates and shut downs in Texas? I’m finding it very interesting hearing what’s going on around the world.
    Best wishes,
    Rowena

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    1. Hi Rowena! I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying the playlist. We’ve been on lockdown here since mid-March only making essential trips for food. My husband will work from home until June 1 (at this time). But the beach nearby reopened yesterday, and restaurants are starting to reopen and serving at a 25% capacity. Kody and I aren’t in a huge rush to go out to eat. We are safe and well. I hope you and your family (y’all 😂) are, too!

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      1. We’ve had to have a big think about everything at our end. It dawned on me last week, that as the government lifts restrictions, it shifts responsibility from the state onto the individual to decide what precautions they’ll take. Our government is pushing us to sign up for an app where you get notified if one of your contacts is diagnosed with the virus and it’s all done via bluetooth. So, it’s tracking your movements, which under ordinary circumstances would be an anathema to anyone, millions including our household have signed up. However, what they haven’t stressed or even mentioned anywhere, is that the app doesn’t stop you from catching the virus. It merely aims to stop you from passing it on once someone in the chain gets tested. If someone has the virus but isn’t symptomatic, they’re not likely to get tested either. So, it’s not Alcatraz.
        We’ve been getting takeaway once a week, bioth to give me a breather with the cooking and also to help out local business. I ordered our groceries online for the first time on friday and they’ll be home delivered. I was pleased with myself for tackling this as there was a bit to take on board and I was able to add to it this morning. My purchases are saved and so in future it will also be a lot faster and I know the total before I get to the check out, which is also a great feature. I might actually start getting organized without having to sacrifice my writing and research time. Yippee!!

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  17. I was born in, and currently reside in Virginia and lived in South Carolina for ten years. I say y’all. I say all y’all. I say y’all’ll. I say y’all’s.

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