Mississippi is the least expensive place to live in America. Everything here is below national average costs, and this includes real estate, retail items, fuel and so forth. Much of this is due to the Magnolia State being on the opposite side of a thriving economics (engine) paradise. Hence, (from a retailer's point of view) there's simply no logic to slapping those who're hardly able to feed themselves, so to speak. When 25% of your citizenry is enrolled in Social Security Disability, that says a lot relative to income thresholds / capabilities.
The latest census numbers too show that Mississippi's citizenry is shrinking. People either haven't moved here during the last decade or many have died, not to be replaced (Mississippians' lifespans are shorter) by subsequent generations (who've survived). If you travel to certain rural parts of our state (& even within vast sections of our capital city, Jackson), and bring newcomers along, more often than not, they'll make comments like "it feels like we've entered a third-world country, or we've gone back in time". Regarding the former, think of it as a dystopian Mayberry.
And this is where handouts come into play combined with shunning / ostracization inside of closed (to the outside world) communities.
For a handout lifestyle comes with compromises and a massive reduction in expectations. More often than not, it's a longstanding marination in shame that literally has become the vernacular.
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As we all know, Samson Society is about combating shame in and through relational accountability. I've said this for years, but I need to personally expound. Our community in 2022 (& it was not like this when I first walked inside) offers an almost unlimited amount of opportunities to connect platonically with men. And, I would argue, this ever expanding vastness adds exponentially to our community's capacity for healing.
For Rob (& I know I'm not unique), inclusivity within the Samson Society (localized) hasn't been near enough for me to obtain God's best relative to my recovery. It was a wonderful starting point (back in 2014), but bigger / beyond Mississippi was / has been beneficial.
Why?
Being from Mississippi is embarrassing. No one here admits to that, but it's true. Plus, there's a finite quantity of Samson guys available to me here. They're all wonderful men, but there's simply too few to meet my needs.
Putting yourself out there amongst Samson guys who're from everywhere but Mississippi takes much more work than I ever expected it to. But, it's worth the effort. It's worth overcoming the embarrassment. It's worth engaging with men who're from everywhere but Mississippi because it works to resist that stigma that permeates so much within this beautiful state.
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In closing, I cannot overstate how cool it is to be accepted into a Samson community made up of guys from all over the world. Guys who know of Mississippi for what it (public relations) is (& now in & through Rob), yet have put that aside to accept me - as well as our entire state - as I am / we are.
We cannot separate ourselves from where we come from / call home, but we can find acceptance / love outside of that place (even whilst humbly residing within!) so long as we're willing to take the necessary risks in order to begin that process. If you're like Rob and feel so moved to expand your recovery horizons beyond Mississippi, I would encourage you to jump into the Samson Society virtual meetings today. It is an amazing resource for us to consider when we feel the timing is right.
You really can have your cake and eat it too.
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