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Have you ever felt out of place? Most of us have at some time or other, but what about REALLY out of place? A time where you felt like being who you truly are was risky. Maybe because of a political opinion you held, or your religious beliefs, a mental illness. Or it was a more visible characteristic like your race or gender, a disability, or one of a million other things that put you on the outside, feeling alone.
Here in the American South, with its rich and storied history, there is a strong sense of place, and many ways to feel a strong sense of being out of place. Regardless of the specifics of the situation, when we humans feel like we don't belong, that can drive us to deny who we are. We conform to those expected behaviors that aren’t authentic for us, living a life that isn't truly ours. It can also cause us to withdraw from others in an attempt to protect ourselves from attack or criticism. In that, we lose that sense of belonging that is an essential part of human flourishing. Either way, we lose. And so does the community around us. Of course, anywhere humans live there are social norms we can be at odds with, but in the South, there are very particular norms and those are the ones I know very well.
Me? I’m Rebecca Lauderdale, and my mission is to help you, Southerners of all types to find belonging and community while being their truest selves.
Please subscribe or follow to get notified when new episodes are launched, and go to www.belonginginthesouth.com and fill out the Guest Nomination Form if you or someone you know are misfits who would like to share a story of living in the South.
You can follow me on social media at dr.lauderdale on TikTok or Instagram.
We all want to be proud of where we're from. But what if some things about that place? Are hurtful to us or stand in the way of us being our truest selves. The American south is the most studied. And written about region of the United States for some good and some not so good reasons. Many of us who live here feel a deep love for the south while at the same time, feeling discomfort with the way certain aspects of Southern culture, stand in the way of our flourishing, both individually and collectively. Belonging in the south as a guide for misfits. A podcast with a mission to help southerners find wholeness and community while remaining their truest selves. Some of my guests have learned hard lessons. Some of them have helped bring community to others. I'm Rebecca Lauderdale and I've lived in the south all my life. Now I have a family and I practice medicine here and I'm fascinated with the ways that people learn to thrive despite difficulty. I've had my own experiences of not belonging and then trying to fit in by pretending to be someone I'm not. And I think many of you probably have too. I'm here to explore how we can all flourish. And at the same time, BR truest selves. Which in the long run makes for a richer and a better south. So whether your experience of being a misfit is because of political or religious beliefs. Your gender, your race, who you love, or a million other things that can put you at odds with the culture around you. This show is for you. Some things that we'll talk about will be distinctly Southern and some will be universal. They'll apply no matter where you live. I'm a physician and I love science. So that'll be a big part of what we do here too. We'll explore what we know about what it means to be human and what it means to flourish as a human being. That means also understanding that, being honest about who we are and sharing that with others. Isn't really negotiable for those of us who want to flourish. Even if you're an introvert like me. So tap that subscribe or follow button up there at the top. So you'll be the first to know when new episodes start airing in February until then much love. I'll see you soon.
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