This installment of Shelby Redd is all about interpersonal relationships.  Since all I have to base this on is my own experience, I have limited each section to just that… my personal experiences and observations.  It may come as a shock to many of you that I would have anything to write about since you probably think everyone treats me with the dignity and respect due someone of my stature in the community.  You would be… well…….. wrong.  There are people everywhere who fail to recognize good breeding and fantastic personality traits.  One of these weak-minded individuals is my good friend, Ballie Crutchfield.  At the church Easter breakfast, (excuse the date on the picture, no one knows how to set the camera) he mentioned I was looking a little peaked, so naturally I challenged him to an arm-wrestling contest.  We fought to a very honest draw but just to show his lack of class, he wiped his sausage-greased fingers on my sweater….. and then started laughing.  In fact, everybody laughed.  I should move.  This place doesn’t deserve me.

                         
Coal County Tales is about letting the Lord provide.  There's a right way and a wrong way..  In the Politics section, there's a story about the doctor and his wife and how things were handled differently back in the Dark Ages.  In the Religion section - A story about Abraham Zirkle's pig.  It's odd, some of the things that have sent people to hell.  And Old Folks Stuff is entitled "The Lord Will Provide - Up to a Point".  Ask Shelby Redd (below) is about a private? religion.

Granddaddy Sez: "I was married for sixty-five years before Ruth died, and we only had one argument......... It lasted sixty-three years."

Ask Shelby Redd - Advice Column: from privateman1176@yahoo.com

Dear Shelby Redd - You are always acting so high and mighty about your religion and stuff.  You act like you're the only person who has a religion.  You got my wife all fired up about the fact that I don't go to church.  Now I need you to get her off my back..  I have my own personal religion and beliefs.  I don't need to go to church with a bunch of hypocrites who think they are better than me.  I hold my beliefs private and don't feel that I should be forced to talk about them.  Surely, even a redneck hypocrite like you would respect my beliefs.  Help me with Velma.
Dear privatemen: This is for Velma.  Velma!  What are you doing to this man!!! Have you lost your mind?!!  Obviously his beliefs embarrass him, or he would not hold them so close to his vest.  I'm always spouting off about my beliefs because I am proud of the God that lets me draw breath each day.  I don't know what god your husband is serving, but it is obviously one he would be embarrassed to tell you about.  So leave him alone.  His religion is one that does not allow hypocrites, and my guess would be that he is the only member of that faith.  If you want to do something good for your man, pray for him.... long and hard.... pray for him.  How did you get hooked up with a guy who would make a stupid statement like, "My religion is private and I don't want to talk about it."  He obviously doesn't realize that he is making no sense.  He believes in something that he thinks will save him from the fires of hell, but he doesn't want you or anyone else to know about it.  What a nice man.  Privateman... grow up.

If you want to share an opinion, tell a story or pose a question for a Coal County survey - 
e-mail shelbyredd@iwon.com

If you're thinking about actually buying a Shelby Redd book: Coal County or The Last Two Years of Abel Rivers or The Death of Glory (see below) ask yourself this question... why should I help out that redneck? 

I like grits, but I'm tired of having them for every meal?

Sample or buy the book "Coal County" at http://www.lulu.com/content/159151
Read excerpt in "Coal County Tales" (see tabs above)

Sample or buy the book "The Last Two Years of Abel Rivers at http://www.lulu.com/content/162544
Read excerpt in "Old Folks Stuff"  (see tabs above)

Sample or buy the book "The Death of Glory" at http://www.lulu.com/content/164384