Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Down South

I'm sure you've heard the phrase, "American by birth, southern by the grace of God". It's too true. I love being from the south. It's the best place on earth. There are so many reasons why. Where should I start?

  • Hot summers. They aren't for everybody, but I like them. I love listening to the crickets late at night, and short summer rain storms in the afternoon.
  • Fried food. Everything is better once it's been battered and deep fried. Chicken, squash, oreos, green beans. The list could go on and on.
  • Sweet tea. 2 cups per gallon please. No more, no less. My mother makes the absolute best sweet tea on the face of the earth. Since Chad is insulin challenged, we mainly get Splenda tea, which is good, but not the same. I could so go for a glass of Mom's tea right now.
  • "Ma'am", "Sir", "Please and Thank you". It's just something that's ingrained into every fiber of our being. I have to say ma'am and sir, depending on the gender I'm addressing. I can't make myself stop. I do understand when people say to me, "My name's Jim, not Sir". I really do get it, but it's just something in me that makes me say it. I can't help it.
  • SEC football. Preferably Alabama, but if we can't get the Bama game on a particular Saturday, then we will watch the other SEC teams. I live in the heart of ACC country(NC), and let me just say, ACC football has NOTHING on SEC. Not even in the same league.
  • "Bless your/her/his/their heart(s)". 'Nuff said.
  • Big old houses, on magnolia lined streets. I don't have one, but I would like one. I don't really know why this means southern to me, but it just does.
  • "Steal Magnolias", "Fried Green Tomatoes", "Drivin' Miss Daisy"
  • Grits.
  • Fresh squeezed lemonade
  • Chick Fil A. Do ya'll have that north of the Mason Dixon line? If you don't, then you just don't even know what you're missing.
  • Fiddles

Where are you from, and is there anything special that you like about it?

10 comments:

Myra @ My Blessed Life said...

I love this post and can completely relate! I love being from the south. I think some people think that being southern is being the same as redneck or hick. I think there's a huge difference. Thanks for sharing!

Andrea said...

I am from Indiana and I love this post. I am not Southern, but my Grandma and Grandpa were and let me tell you, I love the same things you do! I have to add black-eyed peas to the list though. I can't get enough of them!! Also, the reason why you say "Ma'am, Sir, etc" is because you have a little thing called RESPECT-something that needs to be around more. What a great post!!

Monica said...

I was with ya till Alabama! I am a Razorback through and through!

christina said...

what a cute post! I love that you ask your readers...

i'm originally from miami, born and raised, but the CULTURE of texas is all me! However, i HATE the heat! Hate. Despise. I don't leave my house for anything during day light hours during the month of August here in Houston. Grocery shopping is done after 9 pm. It's the law.

But as for Miami, even tho i would not want to live there again, i have a special place in my heart for my 230 pm rollerblading trips on the boardwalk at ocean walk on Hollywood Beach (just south of Fr. Laud. and north of South Beach). I kept my blade in the trunk of my car, and junior and senior year, as soon as school let out, i went straight to the beach. It was a whole 10 minute drive.

i miss my blue water.

Me said...

I'm not from the south, quite the opposite actually. I'm from Canada! Can't get much more north than that unless you're Santa! LOL.

I love everything on your list, except haven't tried Chick-Fil-A. They fry in peanut oil, and my oldest son is allergic, so we stay away. We don't have them up here, but we are in FL at least once a year, and they're all over there.

As for the ma'am, sir, etc....I get why you do it, it's a respect thing, but we don't hear that up here at all. I hate being called ma'am...makes me feel old!

What I love about where I live is the 4 seasons we get...even though I'm cursing each one at the time (ie spring is too rainy and all over the map temp-wise, summer is too hot and humid, fall is depressing because it means winter is coming, and winter is...well, it SUCKS! lol. It's only good to look pretty at Christmas time, but after that it can go!). I love that I don't have to pay a cent when I go to the Doctor, or hospital, or when I have a blood draw. I love French-Canadian accents, although I don't have one...wish I did! Hmmm...can't think of others right now...but that's what's on the top of my head.

Amber McCarthy said...

I love being from the south somehow I ended up marrying someone from the north & It is like day & Night! hahaha oh & I love this post. =)

JenD said...

i'm from michigan and up here we drink a kind of pop called vernors. It is a unique kind of ginger ale. very yummy.

Joan Carr said...

Since I'm the Mama and you are still the daughter you had better use Sir and Ma'm, or Mr. or Ms. in front of the given name especially if they are older than you.(inside joke between mom & her children even though they are adults. But you will get to use the phrase soon and very soon)LOL

I love the south and everything about it, I am proud to be a southerner. Although media makes out like it means we are idiots, and dumb, it is truly a blessing. We have some of the best churches and preachers especially in Western NC. God has truly blest me to be under their influence.

And I love the southern hospitality that you get in some parts of Alabama/Georgia. The hubs is from Alabama.

If you will save me some milk jugs I will keep you in tea.

Tracy said...

i love it here too! there is no place i would rater be. expecially in our beautiful mountains, that is another one of my favs.

Meredith said...

I'm not from the south but I would love to be. Hopefully in a few years we will be living in Nashville. I was born and raised in Illinois. Everytime we visit the southern states I fall in love with the kind people and the gorgeous scenery!