OT (to some degree) Some help describing my Southern Pride

[SAWgunner]

I always get choked up when talking about home, and I find myself having to explain (not defend) why we are so prideful up here.  I consider myself very knowledgable, but I sometimes have problems conveying strong feelings into words.  If some of you southerners could help me out here, so I could more accurately describe to people around here what makes me so goldarn proud to be a southerner.


Thanks,

SAW

[Shorty]

Southern hospitality;  Being in VA, we get a lot of Yankee visitors passing through on the way to Florida.  When they leave, they always say, "Wow, now I know what "Southern hospitality" means".

Openess;  'Ever see a Yankee strike up a conversation with a stranger while waiting on line in the grocery store?  Here, you're likely to hear their life story!      :wink:

Manners; 'Ever hear a Yankee say, "Yes Ma'am", or "Thank you, Sir"?  

Okay, I know that there are many Yankees who are just as polite and friendly, but it's still a source of pride for Southerners.

[volshooter]

I always just tell em    

"If you have to ask then ya aint gonna understand the answer"

It's like riding a Harley, they aint the quietest, smoothest, fastest, purddiest thang on the road, but it's a Harley. Kind of an attitude thing.

Here in East TN we are over run with folks that aint from around here. Yep, their rude, loud, unfrendly, obnixous ( I don't give a rat's behind how yall do it " up north" ) and down right unpleasant to listen to ( they have a kind of a whine to their tune and accent the wrong dadgum parts of words) If I only had a dollar for everytime I've been told the names of our towns don't match up with the spelling.

The south is a slow friendly pace of life that cherishes every sun rise and sun set, every wiff of wild roses or honeysuckle, and is the center of good mannors and respect towards women and old folks and all of GOD's other varmits. Lastly I'd have to mention that the south is also the last of America that has not gone PC.

Rick

[GutHook]

I was born and raised in NC.  I married a lady from California.  We were riding down the road one day and I waved (threw up a few fingers from the steering wheel) at another car that passed us and they waved back.  She asked "who was that?"  I told her I had no idea.  "Well then why did you wave at each other?"  My answer was just because... that's something you just do.
 
As more and more Yanks move south and buy up farmland to put developments on (one of my pet peeves), the casual "drive-by waving" is all but disappearing.  If I see a Volvo headed my way, I can wave and they pass by just looking at me like "who the h3ll are you?"  If I see an old pickup with an old timer behind the wheel, 9 times out of 10, he'll give a quick wave back.  With the influx of northerners, I have noticed that the South is becoming more and more unfriendly.

[Shorty]

GutHook,
That was a good one.  :grin:
'Trouble is, I don't think it's so much Southern or Northern as it is; too damn many vehicles on the road!  :cry:
I learned the "wave" years ago in Texas, when that passing car might be the only one between you and the horizon!    :wink:
I sometimes still do it here in Va. but I'd get finger cramps if I did it for every passing car!  :roll:
Besides, they don't have a free hand, what with one on the wheel and the other holding a cell phone to their ear!   :wink:

[Georgian]

Well, I'm from the deep south, so I dont know if the way we do things is all that different from yall up in Virginia or NC. Down here, Southern Hospitality is number one, besides the Good Lord. Heck, I cant convey into words the way I feel about being southern born, bred, and raised. Its all about the way of life and the manners that your mom and dad taught ya, and your grandparents too. The furthest north I've ever been was Murphy, NC, and I really didnt notice too much of a difference. I'm sorry for this guys, dont crucify me, but it seems to me most ppl from Virginia and NC think that they are THE SOUTH, especially Virginia, since thats where most of the fighting occured. IMHO, when ppl say south, all I really think about is Georgia, South Carolina Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida. To me anyone above those states are in the north, notice I said are in the north to me, but not what you would call yankees. It just seems that the Deep South is nvr recognized as the true south. But, I reckon ppl from Florida consider everyone above them to be in the north too. Another thing to me about southern pride, is how proud I am to live in the state of Georgia. I love my state, through and through. And I am also very very proud of where I come from :wink:

[GutHook]

I heard a new term the other day - Halfback.
 
It refers to the folks from up north that get tired of living up there (be it the cold, the inhospitable people, their local economies or whatever).  They move to Florida and get upset that they have to deal with humidity, electrical storms, big ol' mosquitoes and yes hurricanes.  At this point they move half way back up to Yankee country (hence the term Halfback) and settle in good ol' North Carolina.  :roll:  
 
There was some sort of survey/ study done recently that came out with population projections.  The results showed that NC will be the 7th most populated state in the nation within 20 years.  And I can promise you that we won't get there just by us natives reproducing! :eek:  
 
It seems like they are coming down (or up from Florida) every single day by the bus load.  It's sad to say, but when you hear a real southern dialect these days, it's an oddity (at least here in the Triangle).

[GutHook]

I heard a new term the other day - Halfback (I heard this from a realtor).
 
It refers to the folks from up north that get tired of living up there (be it the cold, the inhospitable people, their local economies or whatever).  They move to Florida and get upset that they have to deal with humidity, electrical storms, big ol' mosquitoes and yes hurricanes.  At this point they move half way back up to Yankee country (hence the term Halfback) and settle in good ol' North Carolina.  :roll:  
 
There was some sort of survey/ study done recently that came out with population projections.  The results showed that NC will be the 7th most populated state in the nation within 20 years.  And I can promise you that we won't get there just by us natives reproducing! :eek:  
 
It seems like they are coming down (or up from Florida) every single day by the bus load.  It's sad to say, but when you hear a real southern dialect these days, it's an oddity (at least here in the Triangle).

[Bigdog57]

Georgian, as a native Floridian and proud Southerner, I can tell you that the Old South ends just a bit below Gainsville.  North Florida is far more southern than south Florida.   :-)
Down around Mouselando, you may as well be in California.

[Georgian]

I agree w/you Bigdog. I dont even like Jacksonville, I dont know if there are many real southerners there, but up here in SE Georgia, the accent is pretty thick

[Ramrod]

South of the Rio Grande, all Americans are "Yankees." And in Europe, we are all rude and obnoxious "Ugly Americans".  And believe it or not, in the small, rural NEW YORK town I live in, everybody waves at everybody, and not talking to the person on line ahead of you in the store will make BOTH of you darn uncomfortable. But anyone a hundred miles south is "from the city". These generalizations are not good. Most of the rural yankees can't afford to get down south much, except to visit relatives, so you all only get to see the big city folks, the wealthy and rude.

[Slamfire]

Here in East TN we are over run with folks that aint from around here. Yep, their rude, loud, unfrendly, obnixous ( I don't give a rat's behind how yall do it " up north" ) and down right unpleasant to listen to ( they have a kind of a whine to their tune and accent the wrong dadgum parts of words) If I only had a dollar for everytime I've been told the names of our towns don't match up with the spelling.
.Rick

If you think its hard for them to say "beerdin" just wait till you try Sepulveda.  

[ironfoot]

I was born and raised in NC.  I married a lady from California.  We were riding down the road one day and I waved (threw up a few fingers from the steering wheel) at another car that passed us and they waved back.  She asked "who was that?"  I told her I had no idea.  "Well then why did you wave at each other?"  My answer was just because... that's something you just do.
 
Hi Guthook
I think the friendly finger wave is a rural thing, not a southern thing.
It is done frequently on gravel roads in southern Minnesota.
But who has time to wave to every car in a city?

[mikedb]

I work as a geologist and spent most of my life in rural areas.  The wave is common in those areas, however, more common in the west (not counting the coast) and south.  In general, folks in the country are more friendly, polite, and willing to help a stranger.  People in the city are too wrapped up in their own self-importance and never ending quest for more and more material things that they think will make them happy.  I currently live in what used to be a small town in Michigan.  Within the last 5 -10 years we have been inudated by folks from the Detroit suburbs.  This place is less friendly and less polite than when I first moved here.  Needless to say I am looking at options.  I love the south, used to live in Louisiana,  but cant handle the heat.  Looks back to Idaho or Wyoming   for me.

[petemi]

I'm a Yankee from Da Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and when we drive our gravel roads, we wave to our neighbors or visitors.  We talk to folks in line at the bank or grocery, and we share with each other.  People here will still get together and build a barn for a neighbor in a weekend. 

I've lived in the South for 15 years and enjoyed the same friendship and hospitality as here.  I believe it is a rural thing, not a north/south thing.  I moved back North, way north, because the obnoxious people from NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit and Chicago pushed me out.  I can't believe they can be so nasty and rude.  The answer, I believe, lies in where your roots are.  How you grew up and how you deal with your neighbor.

My Mom lived in a condo in Boca Raton, FL for 30 years.  I couldn't park my pickup in front of the building.  You couldn't swim in the pool before 10 am or after 10 pm and shirt and shoes had to be worn in the elevator.  Patty and I thought it might be neat to just wear shirt and shoes in the elevator.

A quote from a Florida Cracker, Rocky Rutan:  "Et up with the Yankee Dumbass".

No, I think I'll just perch up here on my 120 acres til I die and let the madness run off to the south below me.  I spent a lot of time in Charleston and Atlanta back when they were fine southern cities.  I miss those days, and the people I knew.  Now they're saturated with rude city people.

Pete