Living on the Coke Side of Life
Annotated Bibliography
In order to understand a person and his/her family, I think it is important to understand the aspects that make up the family. Where they are from, what they are like, what they did to make their lives important. I chose to talk about my mom’s side of the family, however I chose to broaden my project to cover not only her dad’s side of the family but also her mom’s because I feel like they are both incredibly influential to who my mom is as a person as well as to answer my question about how my family’s mark was influenced by the South.
When trying to decide which sources to use for my project, I decided to use a variety. Some of my sources are books that I felt related to specific family members due to the focus of certain time periods in the novel. Some of my sources are web articles that talked about specific events that took place that directly impacted my family. I also chose to use two movies as sources for my project. One was directly linked to my nana and the other was linked to the way I was raised in the south compared to how things used to be. I included two videos from youtube as well. One being an overview of the Atlanta Cracker’s baseball team to talk about my great-great-uncle and the other being a Coca Cola advertisement to talk about my mom. I started this project with absolutely zero knowledge of my ancestors and these annotations helped me answer questions that I had about my family.
“The Official Website of General George Patton — Biography.” The Official Website of General George Patton — Biography. Web. 3 Nov. 2015.
“The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his” — General George S. Patton
General George Patton was one of the most well respected leaders of the US Army from WWII. General Patton commanded several armies with numerous troops in Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, and Czechoslovakia, and was incredibly successful. He led his troops through numerous dangerous battles and served his country until his time had come to an end.
My great-great-uncle, George Harold Mauldin served as an aide to General Patton during WWII. He was General Patton’s right-hand man. I do not know much about my great-great-uncle, however, I do believe that it took an immense amount of strength, will power, integrity, patriotism, bravery, and determination to be such a large part of such an important event that shaped the US. I have no doubt that my great-great-uncle gave his all to General Patton and served him with respect and loyalty. Unfortunately, not every single person who is involved with wars and historical events gets individually noticed. However, I have no doubt that my great-great-uncle was a large part of General Patton’s success, and that makes him important too.
Serving our country is a theme that carries through my family. Both of my uncles served in the army as well as a few other family members. Serving our country is important to my family. We are very proud to be Americans, especially in the south. My uncles are some of the most influential people in my life today because they continue to carry those qualities that they gained while serving in their daily lives. When talking to my uncle about some of the influential people in his life, he said that Uncle George was one of the most important men in our family and is still living at the age of 96, the last family member from his generation. I hope to one day be as influential as he is.
Mathias, William J., Stuart Anderson, and Atlanta. School of Urban Life Georgia. State University. Horse to Helicopter: First Century of the Atlanta Police Department. Atlanta: Georgia State University, School of Urban Life, 1973. Print.
My great grandfather, Carl Mauldin, started working for the City of Atlanta Police Department in the 1960s. This book speaks a lot about racial integration and the social aspects and events that took place because of the racial controversy that was going on. Some big changes that took place while my great grandfather was working were things like black policemen being authorized to arrest white citizens, a five day work week established for policemen and helicopters first being used for the police department. One major historical event that took place was the death and funeral of Martin Luther King Jr. This key happening left a major impact not only on Atlanta, but on history itself. The history of the City of Atlanta Police Department is so large. I never knew that so much had happened in Atlanta. But I do believe that all of the history left major impacts on the south.
Last year during the holidays, my family was all gathered around the table eating dinner and having conversation when someone brought up race and the police controversy going on. Me being the curious one that I am, started asking questions about how it was different now from when my mom and uncles were younger. My uncle Ray began to tell me a story about my great grandfather and how he worked during the time when black cops were allowed to arrest white citizens and how that changed things in those days. My uncle told me that he talked to his grandfather, my great grandfather, about this before and was told a story by my great grandfather about how black cops were nervous about having so much power because they weren’t sure how white citizens would react to them.
I have been wondering what my family left on Georgia and what marks my ancestors left here. But what if the marks my ancestors left on Georgia stemmed from the impact that Georgia left on my ancestors. What if my great grandfather was a better man, a harder working man, and a changed man because of the events that took place during his life. What if being here to witness all of the racial integration and all of the racial events and happenings that went on actually affected him and changed him for the better. What if it made him want to work harder and work alongside his peers, regardless of their race, and end up retiring after 35 years. What if everything that went on impacted him to the point that he impacted Georgia.
The Help. Touchstone Home Entertainment, 2012. Web.
“18 people were killed in Jackson that night. 10 white and 8 black. I don’t think God has color in mind when he sets a tornado loose.”
The Help is a well known movie that shows what life was like during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s from an African American maid’s perspective. It shows all the discrimination and hatred that was directed towards them during this time and depicted what life was like for them back then. It shows all of the hardships that they endured on a daily basis.
Growing up I was taught not to judge people. Don’t judge what they eat, what they wear, what they say, the way they look, or the color of their skin. I noticed that there were kids in my class with darker skin than mine, and kids who looked different than me, but to me that was just the way they were. I didn’t treat them any differently because of that. When this movie came out I was enthralled by the treatment that African Americans received back then, especially the women. The way I was raised, I never knew that people were treated so badly because of the color of their skin or the religion they practiced. I was always taught that everyone was my equal, nobody was greater than me except for God.
This movie was very touching for me. I know that the older generations of my family did grow up and live in the time of segregation and slavery. However, my family doesn’t talk much about that time period or what went on with my family during that time period. I am curious to find out more about that time period though. The movie, The Help, is so inspiring to me because I don’t ever want my kids to grow up in a world thinking that they are superior to anyone else or that anyone else is superior to them, especially if it is about race. Race has become incredibly controversial again and though my family is from the south, I strongly believe that the way I was raised was the belief system that was held throughout my family.
“The Atlanta Crackers and Atlanta Black Crackers.” YouTube. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. <https://youtu.be/I1-eCwM4ivc>.
My great-great-uncle, Marshall Reese “Mark” Mauldin played minor league baseball as the third-baseman for the Atlanta Crackers before being drafted by the Pittsburg Pirates. My family has always been a sports family, but more baseball than anything.
My uncles grew up playing baseball, my brother and cousins play baseball, I played softball growing up. But to my family, sports are more than a game, they teach you life lessons. They teach you what it means to be a part of a team, to depend on other people and to work with other people. Sports teach you sportsmanship and leadership qualities. They teach you that it is not always about winning, it is about giving it everything you have and leaving the rest up to God. In my family, win or lose, we gave all the glory to God. My siblings, cousins, and I were taught that you never give it less than your best. And once you have committed to your team, you never let them down.
I believe that these qualities were passed down to me from my parents and aunts and uncles by my grandparents who had them passed down to them from generations before. I believe all of these life lessons were learned by my great-great-uncle when he played for the Atlanta Crackers. We think being on a local recreation team is a commitment, I could only imagine being committed to a minor league baseball team. On top of that, playing for the team who created the home for the Atlanta Braves. He was definitely part of the creation of something big. And I believe that what he learned by being a part of that team, was passed down throughout the family.
Cash, W. J. 1900–1941. The Mind of the South. New York: A. A. Knopf, 1941. Print.
“From the foundations carefully built up by his father and grandfather…” (pg. 8)
The South is more than a location. It is a home, a lifestyle, a characteristic, friendship, and family. The South means so many things to so many different people. It was built on foundations and traditions of families that go back for generations. Every family with a different story to tell. The quote above stuck out to me because the South, in terms of what it stands for, wasn’t built on a set of guidelines and regulations. The South was built by the families that have lived here and been a part of all of the events that have taken place in history in order to get to where we are today. History was a large part of what created the South as a place, but every family and every person has a different definition of what the South is and means to them.
This quote spoke to me in terms of my family because the foundation of my family was built by my ancestors long ago. There wasn’t a book that defined what our family traditions or values were supposed to be. My family was built around history and the events that have taken place since my family began, the history that shaped or influenced my family. I am curious to know and hear of stories that my mom and uncles heard growing up about their ancestors. I want to hear about the ways that history did shape my family and the way that my family defines the South for us. I want to hear all of the stories about what happened with my family for generations back to when everything was built on a foundation by my grandfather and his father.
Joyner, Charles W. Shared Traditions: Southern History and Folk Culture. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1999. Print.
“Underlying and informing every style of music performed in the South, religious music has been the bedrock of southern vernacular music — both black and white.” (pg. 194)
Music is one of the crucial things that set cultures apart from one another. The type of music a person listens to tells you many things about them: where they are from, where they grew up, the way they were raised. Music is a key ingredient to someone’s entire life. The section of this book that I read talked about how music in the south was so much a part of life for white and blacks, that especially during the age of integration, the music cultures between white and blacks started to blend together.
I think that this quote applies to my family and my ancestors because music was a big aspect of my life growing up. Whether it was gospel music with my nana, rock and roll with my uncle Ray, or country music with my momma, music was everywhere in my life. Music told the story about who my family was, the way I was raised and who I am today. There was never a genre of music that I wasn’t introduced to or didn’t just absolutely love. My cousin and I had dance parties to every type of music imaginable.
I believe that music was a large part of my ancestors’ lives as well. It had to have been for my uncle to grow up with a passion for music. My curiosity from this part of the book is what type of music was popular in my family’s lives back in the 60s and 70s? What type of music told the story of my family back then? Because if anything my family did left an impact on Georgia, or the south, it was the food we ate and the music we listened to.
“Grinning Elk Interview with Ray Mauldin from Grinning Elk.” Vintage Rare Blog. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.
“It’s a Latin saying: ‘audentes fortuna iuvat’, which means ‘Fortune Favors the Bold’.”
My parents have always told me I am strong willed, and I have been since I was a baby. I am very independent and I do not like to be told no. I have never been handed anything in life — I have worked incredibly hard to be where I am today. That characteristic was instilled in me by my parents, who also had to work for everything that they have, as did their parents.
My poppy was a paraplegic since he was 16. He was in a wheelchair for the majority of his life, yet he never failed to show me how incredibly strong he was. He continued to live his life despite his wheelchair. He drove, and worked, and made sure his family was taken care of. He owned a television shop with my uncle that was connected to my nana’s beauty salon. He worked by her side every single day. He was successful and fortunate because he was determined that his wheelchair would not hold him back.
This quote comes from an interview that my uncle did with Vintage & Rare, a music website used to buy and sell instruments, during an interview about his guitar company. The quote was part of his last words to close out the interview. This quote is so strong and makes an incredible statement. Owning your own business is risky. You never know what the demand for your product is going to be. But my uncle has always been so determined and set on success. He actually worked with my poppy in his television shop until my poppy passed away. Hardwork and determination have been key qualities that everyone in my family has harped on. And I believe that my uncle has been so successful because he saw this quote come to life in his father.
Kelly Barnes Dam. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 2 Nov. 2015.
“…and the resulting flood killed 39 people and caused $2.8 million in damages.”
The breaking of the Kelly Barnes Dam in Stephens County, GA, right outside of Toccoa, is very famous. This catastrophe happened on November 6, 1977 after receiving large amounts of heavy rainfall. There were many lives taken and homes destroyed because of the flood that followed. My nana’s h0me being one of them.
My nana lived in a small home with her mom, dad, and nine siblings. Their home was on a farm, along with a barn and a handful of animals. They had cows to get their milk, chickens to get their eggs, and horses for when they needed some fun. My nana and her siblings grew up knowing they had chores and play time was not until after. My nana was 38 years old when the dam broke and destroyed the house she grew up in. It washed away everything that she ever knew as a child.
This catastrophic event impacted my family and their home. My great grandparents were older at the time of the event, however, that didn’t change that the flood destroyed their home and everything they had. My nana and her siblings got my great-grandparents situated in nursing homes after the accident until they could figure out what to do about the house. They never rebuilt though, my great-grandparents didn’t want their children to be burdened with having to rebuild everything. It is mind-blowing how a natural disaster can change so many people’s lives.
Brooks, David. “Lady Gaga and the Life of Passion.” The New York Times. The New York Times, 22 Oct. 2015. Web. 26 Oct. 2015.
“People with passion are just less willing to be ruled by the tyranny of public opinion.”
One of the big life lessons that my Nana always harped on me was “never allow the way other people see you to alter the way you see yourself”. I was raised in church with my nana and my cousin. I was taught that God’s opinion is the only one that matters, and to this day I still live by that. Girls are infamous for drama, and especially when you are younger. I remember time and time again coming home from school and telling my nana about how someone at school said something mean, and time and time again she would wipe my tears, push my hair out of my face, and ask me whose opinion really mattered. That is something that has stuck with me my whole life.
Lady Gaga is known for her uniqueness and individuality. The way she dresses for shows and events make her stand out to the crowd, which is exactly what she wants. She wants to be passionate about what she does and who she is without being worried about the negative opinions of those who don’t agree with the way she appears. She says that “we are the only animals who are naturally unfinished”, meaning that our life is not set and stone. We have so much potential in our lives that we should be and do exactly what we want no matter what anyone else thinks about it. We, as humans, need to decide where we want to be in life and who we want to be in life and be truly passionate about it.
The lesson my nana taught me will be with me for the rest of my life. I also believe that it was a life lesson that was passed down through my family. My cousin, Reagan, and I were best friends growing up. We did everything together. The older we got, the more we grew apart, especially when my grandparents passed away. Reagan is an only child and has always gotten all of the attention from her parents. Being so close when we were little, it is crazy now that we are so different. Reagan is artsy and creative. She currently works at a tattoo shop drawing tattoos. She dyes her hair crazy colors, pierces her body all of the place, and is a big introvert. I, on the other hand, am very much an extrovert. I am not artsy nor do I like to draw. I like to shop and be social. My hair color is natural and the only body parts I have pierced are my ears. We are very different people, however we are 7 months apart in age and we grew up the same way. My cousin has no shame in her appearance though. She is very liberal and will not have a problem telling you how she feels and the she doesn’t care what other think of her. She values her own opinion because ultimately nobody else’s opinion, other than God’s, matters.
Steel Magnolias. Dir. Herbert Ross. Perf. Sally Field and Julia Roberts. Rastar Films, 1989. DVD.
“I don’t trust anyone who does their own hair. I don’t think its natural.” — Truvy
One of my favorite things when I was little was being picked up from school by my nana. Because that meant that I got to go hang out at her hair salon, which was also connected to my poppy’s TV shop. It was my favorite thing. I got to run around with Reagan, be able to spend time with my grandparents, get in trouble for spinning in Nana’s chairs, and getting into trouble. My nana was many things, but she was notorious for doing hair.
When I was little, my mommy used to allow me to have highlights in the summer time. I would sit on phone books in the chair and my nana would put a cap on my head and pull pieces of hair through the cap so she could highlight them. I am incredibly tender headed so the cap was not my favorite part, but I loved getting my hair done by my nana.
The movie Steel Magnolias reminds me of my nana in so many ways. Not only because of the hair salon in the film, but also their relationship with God. If my nana was an actress, she would have fit right in. My nana had one of the strongest relationships with Christ that I have ever seen. The ladies in this movie share a friendship over what they love: hair, God, and the south. This movie reminds me so much of my family and of my nana in numerous aspects. Its not just friends in this movie either, its friends and family. The ladies in the beauty salon are a family and their families are all family. They are there for one another and for one another’s children and friends. They are so loving and giving and willing to do anything for one another. And that is exaclty how my nana was. This movie is dear to my heart because of my nana.
Coca Cola. Youtube. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2015 <https://youtu.be/OIhGUjFed6I>.
“Open Happiness”
The video above is Coca Cola commercial from Argentina for the product Coca Cola Life. The commercial is sending the message that there are trails and tribulations that come along with having a family, but that even when you think your life is overwhelming and out of control, a sip of Coca Cola can bring you peace and happiness. Coca Cola has had many slogans over the years but the ones that really stick to me are “Open Happiness”, “Have a Coke and a Smile”, and “Living on the Coke Side of Life”.
My family definitely lives on the “Coke side of life”. My mom has worked for Coca Cola since I was born. She is the Senior Manager of Corporate Communications for Coca Cola Enterprises. She has spent the last 20 years working her way up in her company. Her job allows her to travel to other countries to work with all kinds of different people in many different places.
This video connects with my family because I was the first child. I started the crazy life my parents have and then my twin brother and sister came along. One thing that my family is notorious for saying is “we don’t drink Pepsi products”. We grew up with a strict “Coke only” policy that continues to this day. Coca Cola has impacted my life in many ways. From going to mom’s office and meeting all of her work associates, to attending service projects managed by Coca Cola. My mom’s boss is like a second mother to me. I have been to the World of Coke so many times that I can quote the 4D movie that they play. Coke is a part of our family. It is what we drink on hot summer days by the pool with our cousins, it is realizing that my mom named us names that will never be on the side of a Coke bottle in a convenient store, it is simply the life we live. Coke is a part of our family, and this video is a wonderful representation of how our crazy, Coke loving, family got started.
The Holy Bible. New York: Arno, 1968. Print.
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” — 1 Timothy 4:12
I grew up in a very religious family. My mother was not an every Sunday church goer, neither was my father, but I attended church every Sunday morning with my nana and Reagan. Sometimes Reagan and I would even talk her into letting us come to “big church” with her instead of going to our Sunday school class. We would sit in the pues in the back of the church and listen to the sermon. And by listen I mean crawl on the floor, write notes in our notebooks, eat candy out of Nana’s purse, get in trouble for talking when we weren’t supposed to — just the normal kid stuff. When we did attend our Sunday school class we would participate in the activities that were prepared for us in order to help us understand the weekly lesson. We heard, we knew bits and pieces, but my relationship with Christ didn’t get serious until after my nana passed away.
If ever there was a verse in the Bible that stuck out to me, it is 1 Timothy 4:12. I have talked about how my nana instilled in us the life lesson that it doesn’t matter what people think of you, well this verse goes great with everything I have said. My nana always told me that just because I am young doesn’t mean that I can’t change the world. She told me that being young was my secret weapon, that I needed to use my age for the better and use it to make a statement to the people around me. After my nana passed away, I lost my best friend. I wasn’t quite sure what to do without her. My mom and uncles began to go through her things and my mom asked me if there was anything of hers that I wanted to keep to remember her by. I remember telling my mom that it isn’t the material things that will allow me to remember Nana, it is the person that she has helped me become and all of the life lessons she has taught me that will forever keep her in my heart.
My relationship with Christ is the most important relationship in my life. I honestly don’t think I would be the person I am today in my daily life or in my spiritual life if it wasn’t for my nana. I am so thankful that religion was a part of my family and part of the way I was raised. I do know that religion was passed down through many generations of my family. My family is from the “Bible Belt,” our faith runs strong. Between our faith in Christ and the love we have for one another, the bond that my family has is unbreakable.
