Well there are a few things about the South people like. The south is not about all bad things. Politically, it is by far a mess but on the good side, there are reasons people love the south.
I am told I am a true southerner but with a New York attitude. I have no idea what that means.
Food. Let’s talk food. There has been a lot of talk about slavery. I can only think of one thing the stupid white people didn’t ignore and glad they learned from the cooks who served their meals to them. Soul food. Call it soul food or southern food but what ever you want to call it, it is good eating.
Traditionally in the south, we do eat too much fried foods but Oh my goodness, that is the only downside I can think of. Our traditional meals. Hot bisuits, cornbread, okra, fried or boiled, fresh green beans and tomatoes ,squash, baked mac and chees. We can make vegetable soup from fresh picked corn or fresh vegetables out of this world. The fried chicken is good, as well as Meatloaf, Pot roast, fish and hushpuppies, potato salad to die for, Grits which is not much different from cream of wheat but some don’t understand that. The food is a large part of what we love.
We love the fresh dew in the evening and the mornings. We like catching lightning bugs and eating homemade ice cream. We like sitting on the porch and popping beans and complaining about the weather. We like in some areas of the south watching the leaves slowly turn bright colors. We like fighting much of the majority for what we believe in. We like fishing on a good day and feeling alive in a thunderstorm as the thunder rolls as long as it doesn’t roll too loudly and lightning doesn’t strike a major structure or start a fire. We like to watch the sunrise over a hot cup of coffee and watch it go down over a nice cold glass of tea. Some of us like the warm days of fall and even not freezing in the winter but don’t be fooled, it does get cold in certain parts and most of the south in the winter. We like seeing palm trees swing in the breeze. We like walking along the beach shores. We like to bird watch and garden. We like hanging out laundry on a line just to gather it at the end of the day with a fresh smell. Don’t get me wrong, we like our dryers but once in a while the sun baked clothes are nice. We like shopping locally. We still go to Walmart but we know local merchants and they know us. We talk and say things that can make your head spin and people laugh at us but we are proud of our heritage and for most of us it is like Heinz 57. We are Irish, Italian, Native American, Dutch, German, Jewish, African American, British but I would say the Irish holds a strong lead in the south.
This is mostly for the country life which outweighs the city life by far. We like the Varsity Drive Inn in Atlanta. We don’t like the traffic but we make friends on Marta, the transist system. We like many have unlocked doors that one finds in small communities. Maybe some of this is true in other parts of the country and I know good food can be found in every state but for some reason that down home southern meals are just well…..down home. The south is Bible country and some try to push it but most folks invite folks and leave it at that. ( At least the ones I know and have known). The churches got politicized when Bush was President to the best of my knowledge.
The schools can get pretty messed up but many parents take their grievances straight to the principals and teachers and not so much to the school board but will go when necessary. We like softball and baseball and participating in school participation. Women in the south for the most part are pretty outspoken at least the ones I know. They also like to control things in the home if they can. Life can get rough for some men when southern women get pushed around by the spouses. The first thing you would think to go would be sex but it is actually meals. They get a tomato sandwich instead of that pot roast.
Yes, I know the civil war is not completely over but southerners are hard headed and the haters and bigots are not so well appreciated but the opposite folks will speak up when things hit them at the wrong time. That is usually when a fight breaks out. We talk to our kids for the most part like kids and not friends. Things like, “ Don’t make me tell you twice” and usually after the third warning.
Things like “ Do you want a spanking or put on restricition”. Silly asking such questions but we all do it. Things like, “ Don’t make me pull this car over”. Like a three year old can make you do anything… LOL. Many places still have dancing and even square dancing. I am thinking of Tennessee. Music is very dominant and rigging projects that your either don’t have the money to fix or replace is a must to the imagination.
There are great things in all of the states but the South is different in many ways. The way we talk, the way we express ourselves, the bigotry is bad but they do get pushback...don’t think otherwise. We have bullies and so does every part of the country.
No most of us who were born and brought up in the South don’t want to leave it. They want to change things to be more honorable but not necessarily more sophisticated, Many of us like running barefoot in the grass and digging in the dirt planting things and cutting wood. For these reasons this southern hatred by so many blame all of us for the stupid and ignorant haters and we choose to stand and fight. We find our fried green tomatoes and banana pudding and “Ya’ll come in now and Ya’ll come back is worth fighting for.
The black folks that I have met have come a long way in the south but not far enough and people without predjudices needs us to stand up and say, No…...We want equality and we too love America and you brainwashed haters can go to Hell.
I don’t think you really want the South to disappear. We don’t appreciate the monuments or things built on the confederacy any better than others all over this country but don’t think for a moment bigotry and sexism and hatred is all there is to the south. There are lakes, streams, mountains, hills and sunshine and some damn good democrats and independents standing up for what they believe and trying their best to change minds and influence people to right and wrong and not sitting in a pew. They are educated and non educated with strong opinions and so used to fighting for better lives for everyone that we are disappointed when told to move away from our homeland. It is worth fighting for.
Louisiana is a different kind of state regarding the food. Spicey, and some of the best coffee in the world along with cajun recipes.
I have used all of this lingo and still do. Stand with us to make a better south to rid us of the haters.