Growing up in the south has definitely been something I've always been grateful for. There are many things I enjoy about living in the south. There are also many things I wish could be different. This is a pros and cons list I've put together, showing my personal experience about what growing up in the South is really like.
PROS
Nature.
I've always loved nature. Being outside, surrounded by trees and in the company of animals is something I find very enjoyable. If you live in the south, chances are you're going to run into nature at least once in your life. When I'm driving down the road, I see huge open fields with grazing cattle, or I see hills and mountains off in the distance. For me, this is one of the simple joys life has to offer.
Fewer people.
I've never been what you call a people person, so the fewer people I have to deal with the better. Now obviously, the south is not completely void of human beings. Depending on where you go, an area in the south can be pretty heavily populated. The area I live in though is pretty small. It's definitely not like the city, where to me it seems there are just too many people.We don't have a huge amount of crime here either. We do have quite a few drug busts, but as far as murderers and kidnappings, that doesn't really happen a whole lot.
Peace and Quiet.
This could be a result of the whole fewer people factor. Yes, things can get loud here in the south. However, you just don't here the same kind of obnoxious things as you would in a large city. I'm talking about traffic noise and a million people talking at once. The first thing I usually hear when I wake up in the morning is birds chirping. I also occasionally hear my neighbors' goats.
Sweet Tea.
This wouldn't be such a big deal if it wasn't for the fact that there are other states that don't have sweet tea. I had a friend from New York who said sweet tea wasn't really a thing up there. I drink sweet tea with just about everything. I only recently learned that it's not something everyone has in America. That's actually pretty sad, well to me anyway.
Everyone knows each other.
This is really sort of a good and a bad thing. The reason why it's good is that no matter where you go in town, you're bound to run into a friendly face. If you need help, it's not hard to find someone willing to lend a hand. The entire community is able to help look out for one another.
CONS
Stereotypes
Redneck, hick, hillbilly, the list goes on with stereotypical names people like to give southerners. We're deemed as ignorant, racist, and usually accused of incest. However, like most stereotypes, these simply aren't true, not even to the vast majority of southern people. No, we're not stupid and no we never slept with one of our cousins. A huge issue a lot of southern people have to deal with is being taken seriously and treated as an intelligent human being. This is especially true for people who have a very noticeable southern accent.
Remote Area
While I do enjoy the peace and quiet remote areas offer, it can have it's set backs. If you have to go to the store, chances are you're going to have to drive 15 to 30 minutes out of your way to get there. Do you need somewhere to hang out? Well, an only decent place to go is about 30 minutes out of town. Remote areas are not exactly the best when it comes to offering decent jobs either.
Weather
The weather here in Tennessee doesn't really make any sense. During the winter months this past year, we went from one day of 70-degree weather. The next day dropped down to about 40 degrees. I've seen snow and blooming flowers all in one setting. You really don't know what to expect with our weather. Plus the heat can be unbearable at times.
Everyone knows each other
I put this as a pro, but it's also a con. When everyone knows each other, it also means everyone knows each other's business. News travels pretty fast in a small town. I've heard crazy stories about people I've never even met before. Also when you know almost everyone or you see the same people all the time, it can make it difficult to find new friends.
I love the south and I have no desire to live in a heavily populated are, like a city. Yes, the south has its ups and downs, but I enjoy every experience I've gotten with it, and there's really no other place I'd rather be.
