Apparently, it wasn't often you'd go to Alabama and meet a Yankee. My mama's married one. Nowadays, things like that don't seem like such a big deal. People think of multicultural the way MLK didn't want us to way back when he dreamed of a world where people would be judged by their character and not by their skin. When people think multicultural in 2017, they think in sephia.

Of course, thinking that way gets you in all sorts of trouble. It's like being nearsighted without glasses--you might get the big picture, but you miss the details. Sometimes, too, it's more auditable than visual. Folks hear the difference between "hawt dawg" and "hwat dwog" better than they see it. People smell the distinction between cornbread and sausage dressing at Thanksgiving before they ask to see the recipes. Even taste what makes cheesey grits very unlike oatmeal when served at a ladies' brunch.

Now granted, my dad's been in Alabama almost longer now than he's been in NJ. So, he's not as much a Yankee as he could be. Civil War (or is it "War Between the States"?) isn't really a touchy subject. There's unsweet tea in the fridge, but it sits right next to a jug of sweet an' sugary Milo's.

Dad may have an equal amount of Yankees and Alabama attire (RTR). Mama may know how to roll up and stuff a cabbage leaf to make Hungarian stuffed cabbage. Still, there's those fine things. Finer than the finest family china in the glass chifferobe.

You don't really notice them until people start posting articles about what it's like to be a southern girl and you only relate to half. I'm full southern, really, unless you want to get all technical. People always pointed out those distinctions as jokes (no one laughed) growing up.

"Oh, you're not a full southern," they'd say.

Bless their heart. Pretty sure southern isn't an ethnicity.

Eh, but maybe they're right. I can't imagine monogramming anything ever, from my cup to the back pockets of my jean shorts. And while most of my southern females are big into sororities...I couldn't care less. Football? I'll pass, and no, I'll never date a football player. Don't know why that's a big deal, personally.

There's enough of a difference between regions for various cultures.

Yeah, sometimes it's beautiful. I have some cousins who sound like they're from Gone with the Wind, and some who sound like they're from Jersey Shore. Family reunions are very interesting.

A mix of different cultures.

Often, a mix overlooked.

So y'all guys, when you're looking at people's skin, don't forget to look beneath it every now and then. Maybe it's splitting hairs, but there's a lot more cultures deeper than the epidermis.

I mean look for that heart of Dixie sometimes, past them red sox.

You'll be surprised what you find.