Why is Ray Charles here?

Why have I posted a video of Ray Charles singing "Georgia" here? "Georgia" is the official state song of, you guessed it, my beloved home state, Georgia, perhaps the only place I love more than Moravia. It was written by Stuart Gorrell and Hoagy Carmichael, but Ray Charles, a native Georgian, made it famous. It's a lovely song. Just play it, and listen while you read.
Are you surprised to learn that Georgia has a state song? Then perhaps you will also be surprised to learn that every single state in the US has its own set of state symbols which includes not only its very own song, but also distnctive flag, official seal, bird, flower, tree, and animal. Most states also have an official state fossil. Learning all of the symbols and history of one's native state is a part of every elementary school child's education. No kidding! It's part of the Official Curriculum.
We Southerners can be quite sentimental about where we come from. Here in South Carolina, natives often display an image of the state tree for SC, the Palmetto, just about every where--clothes, shoes, cars, jewelry, towels. At my childhood home in FORT VALLEY we had Cherokee roses in the yard. I have planted Carolina Jessamine because Bram is growing up here. My great-grandmother had a whole garden of Camellias, the official flower of her home state, Alabama. And I have those, too. Maybe this fall I should plant a Cherokee Rose.