I'm totally in love ... but not with any man. I am totally in love with all the good things that the deep south has to offer. Live oaks dripping with spanish moss and mingling with palms, ferns and swaths of cast iron are among my personal favorites. My beloved deep south is currently bursting azaleas and dogwood trees into beautiful blooms. It looks like the south went to Hawaii on vacation. The colors are magnificent and the skies are true blue. If you have ever read about the south, some of it may or may not be true. But, what is true is that we are some very hospitable and talkative folks, although our manners are showing a bit of decline. We have been known to curse your ass out and then beg for your forgiveness, because we run hot and sweet like that down here. But, one thing I know ... is that we are friendly. We wave at strangers, talk to fence posts and give you very detailed directions if you ask us how to get from here to somewhere else. We stop for funeral processions and ambulances and will give you the dirtest of looks if you don't do the same.
I thought all people were like this, but after I spent a week in London, I practically kissed the blazing hot asphalt when I landed in my beloved south. I could not believe how starved I was for idle chit chat with strangers. The guy helping us with our luggage chatted, the girl at the fast food restaurant chatted. It was music to my ears. I thought to myself ... oh my God, I have died and gone back to heaven. Home! I'm home!! And I wasn't even "home" I was just Home! Down here in the south, you get chit chatted with -- at the slightest drop of a humidity inspired bead of sweat on any dog day of summer, and to think, I took that wonderful everyday experience for granted. I can assure you, I never will again. I just got home from the local bookstore, where a very lively conversation ensued with the young man who sold me my book. Two strangers engaging in a bit of humanity. Ahhhhhh ... its sweet love to mutually understand the accent.
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You described it perfectly. There are two kind’s of people in the US. Southerners and those who wish they were.
ReplyDeletelove is really a wonderful thing and its really good to hear that you are in love forever and ever.
ReplyDeleteSeems like I spend my day talking to fence posts... :)
ReplyDeleteI do love Spanish Moss and the big Live Oaks... and peanuts (just not boiled, thank you).
@Coffeypot -- I think there may be three kinds of people -- southerners, those who wish they were, and those who don't know that they should wish they were, but would if they did ;)
ReplyDelete@Love Spells -- I'm forever in love with the idea of being in love. Thanks for visiting.
@Intense Guy -- Nice thing about talking to fence posts is that they are great listeners. It's okay if you refuse to like boiled peanuts. That leaves more for us :) How about some grits? Don't say no, until you have had them made by a true southerner in their own home. When I offered some to my EXB, who is not a southerner, he said no thanks, I don't like those. I insisted he at least try them. He asked for more.
I remember going to New York City when I was 30 and spending several days there. Then I came home and all of a sudden, as we're driving home from the airport, I noticed how GREEN Nashville is. For the first time in my life I really appreciated living here.
ReplyDelete@Stephanie -- my EXB is from TX, he LOVED LOVED LOVED all the green here! I think he loved our trees more than he loved me, and I can't say I blame him. I suspect I will experience "your" green experience when I go and return from Vegas next month.
ReplyDelete:) I love grits... 'cept the jalapeno flavored ones...
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean, I missed chit-chat with strangers every single day that I lived in San Francisco. It's a standard part of life down here, and I'm learning I can't live without it. Damn it's good to be home!
ReplyDelete@wanderlust --- oh yes, it's always good to be home, and what a home you have. I love your home city. New Orleans will always have a place in my heart!
ReplyDelete