Introducing: Overheard in the ATL

Humor is the way to any ear, and the compiler of 'Overheard in the ATL' uses humor to expose sides of the Atlanta community that would otherwise go unnoticed in the daily grind of life. This blog is compiled of submissions of random quotes overheard around the city. Some display the fellow residents' short comings while others reveal a deeper sense of what, philosophically, the residents are thinking about their daily lives and situations. But why write about these people with whom your only contact is through email and the air you breathe? Because each post is a snap shot of the big picture of what it means to be a person in the ATL.

In the entry titled "What Does That Say About Kindergarten Teachers?" a girl is overheard sayign that she is glad she is going to college because now she has teachers who actually went through college and are, therefor, qualified to grade her work. I think the title should be changed to "What Does This Say About Our Public Education System?" because Georgia has consistently ranked at the bottom of the rankings and this humorously supports that notion.

Another entry, "Don't Even Get Her Started on Splenda", speaks tremendously on how Atlantians value their health. The lady tells her son that energy shots will make hsi brain bleed and kill him and then proceeds to purchase unfiltered cigarettes. Ironically George P. Burdell mentions in the next posting his experience at the renowned Emory labs. Apparently in "Among Other Things", Mr.Burdell (himself in the perfect image of health) comments on overhearing a smoking reasurcher mention to his colleague that he heard a report that Splenda was bad for people.

One of the saddest realities of life in Atlanta is the existence of poverty and homelessness in the city. In "Let's Hope God's Grammar is Better Than His Sense", a homeless woman remarks that someone has more sense on their person than God has on his. While the contributor dismissed her as a 'crazy homeless lady', one can look deeper and see that her situation is so terrible as to make her question her faith in God's plan. What is she going through, and what does that say about a society that does not value the words and views of someone because of their situation or opinion?

'Overheard In The Atl' uses humor to give the reader a glimpse into what it's like to be a member of the fiber of the community of Atlanta. The compiler uses the quotes of others to put together a collage of daily Atlanta life.

-Virginia Dobson