Okay, so I was born and raised in the south, and I have my mind set on the fact that it is a completely different world here. I am utterly in love with the South and the way of life here. Now, I have never really known anything different, and if that is wrong, I do not wanna be right. But here's a few ways to describe what it is like being from the South.
1.You will always, and I mean always, get comments made about your accent.
Before I came to Lander, I never really noticed by accent. Everyone in my hometown talked like me, so it never really even occurred to me that a had a "southern" accent. Well, now I realize that my accent is a lot stronger than I thought. People in my class who "aren't from around these parts," will ask me to say things over and over again just to hear my accent.
2. Family gatherings are always planned around when and where food is going to be consumed.
Okay, so food is a big thing here in the south. Family is also extremely important to us, so we often just enjoy the two together. Now there is always that one family member who makes you wanna scream, but food always makes that more bearable. But family gathering are always, always, always planned around when, where, and what food is going to be consumed. Everything else, well just kinda falls into place.
3. Sweet tea.
Do I really need to say more? It shocks me that people have never heard of, or tried this deliciousness before.
4. You are either SEC or ACC.
Okay, so these two conferences will always be rivals, and in the South sports (especially football and baseball) are big deals to us. And, you either pull for the ACC or the SEC. You can't be one of these people that says "Oh, I pull for everyone." Umm, no you do not. It does not work that way.
5. We do not drive tractors, lawnmowers, or horses everywhere we go.
I mean you will see the occasional lawnmower or horse being used as a form of transportation, but that is extremely rare. And on back roads, you will more than likely see a tractor being used at some point. But these are not our primary modes of transport.
6. Our music is a big deal to us.
Like I said, it is like a completely different world here. And country music gives us something to connect to about our way of life. Now we are not all beer drinkin, husband/wife stealing, gettin' down on the farm people. But those things have just grown to represent our culture and our music. They are not all completely accurate, but hey, we'll roll with it.
7. We love our country.
USA. America. 'Merica. *bald eagle calls out in the distance*
We love America here. Now, I am not talking about your typical frat boy who wears American flag shorts that are a little to short to be worn, but we really love our country here. It's so incredibly common for someone to have an American flag mailbox, or flag flying off their house/car.
8. Yes, trucks are a big deal here.
So, trucks are a pretty big deal to us. Mostly to younger guys, but they are pretty important. Yes, there are "truck meets" in random parking lots, mostly Walmart or Sonic. And I am telling you, I have seen some trucks prettier than some people.
9. Fishing.
I absolutely love fishing. It is a great way to build memories with your friends and family. During that time, you honestly think you are "just fishin'." But there's so much more to it than that. It's about the stories that come afterwards, the little jokes about who can fish better, or who caught more fish.
10. Grits.
Grits have always been a staple in my house. And it never occurred to me growing up that not everyone has "experienced" grits before. It's hard to describe these wonderful things, but I swear, put lots of butter and cheese in them and you are set.
11. Y'all is just a part of our vocabulary.
I, honestly, just say "y'all" all the time. I do not even realize I am saying it. We use y'all to present two people, or 50 people. And sometimes, we honestly don't even know who "y'all" is supposed to be. It is just a word that sticks around and never really leaves.
12. Showing up in boots.
Boots are a lot of people's go to shoe here. I honestly think some people have never worn anything else. Boots are our dress shoes. Boots are some people's sandals or Nikes. They just get worn everywhere, all the time.
13. Pine trees.
These pesky little (huge) things are everywhere. Now, don't get me wrong they can produce a lovely breeze, but the amount of pine sap and pine cones will always get on my nerves.
14. Mosquitoes.
You can literally hear mosquitoes buzzing in the air during the spring and summer. I honestly do not know how we all do not have malaria or something. If you live here, you will get bitten by a mosquito, or 10, actually probably 40. But you get the idea.
So that's what it is like being from the South. These things are ingrained in our memories, actions, and honestly make us who we are. We are those rocking chairs sitting on porches, we are homemade ice cream, we are he farmer's tans, we are those tall pines. We are the "slower," more simple way of life. We are all one big family, and we are proud of where we come from.
