We are fam-i-ly

Mississippi's author legend William Faulkner made famous the South's "sense of place."

Oh Mr. Faulkner. You got that right.

But it's not just about place. It's about people who live in that place.

When Rachel was just a baby and very sick, she needed two pints of blood a day for 14 days. It had to be A negative, the doctors said.

It had to come from friends, her parents said.

The doctor was a big city guy who had only recently moved to Mississippi. When we said we could find 28 hometown people to donate blood, he was incredulous.

It's impossible. Do you understand that all these people must first, have A negative blood, and second, be willing to give? And how will you find these people?

Well ..... We could call out the National Guard.

(They came.)

And ... The school district could ask employees to donate and let them leave work to do so. (They gave.)

And ... We could hold a blood drive at church. (Dozens donated. Two passed out while bleeding for a good cause.)

Dr. Fitzwater was blown away. Not only did we have two weeks' worth of blood -- 28 donors typed as A negative -- we had extras. And for each extra, the hospital took $50 off the hospital bill. We paid off that multi-thousand dollar bill with blood.

How's that for a blood sacrifice?

So here's to a sense of place, and people with good sense. We don't have an Outback Steakhouse or a Target or a tricked-out YMCA.

But -- in small town Mississippi -- we are family.

And just to prove it, the blood of at least 28 small-towners runs in Rachel's healthy veins.