Ivy Tied Up |

This is the question given to us from the Beaumont Enterprise ‘reader opinions’ blog.
They asked:

What does it means to be a Southerner in the 21st century? Tell us.
In this blog, we invite you to participate in this fascinating exploration of this “most maligned and mused-upon of American regions.” What does being “Southern” mean to you?

Of course this was asked back in November and I’m late as usual but better late than never.

Now I’m from the south. I’ve been born and raised in SE Texas my entire life. I’m still here. Occasionally I feel stuck and want to run away. But I can’t imagine anywhere else that my kids could swim,hunt,fish, ride 4 wheelers, play outside, and live with out the constant fear of something happening to them in their own yard. See I live down a very private road. We are surrounded by hunting club land. Meaning nothing but woods almost all the way around. I live off a lil road that is nothing but family. They can go down the road to the neighbors house to play and I don’t have to worry about someone taking them because no one can get down here. I can call and ask has diva gotten there and already know the answer. I can open my front door and not worry about someone walking in who is a stranger. Its very private land..

Now anyhow. The responses to the question posted amused me to say the least. of course there were the few who rebelled and told the truth about what its really like. Then there are those who live by the same old stereo types. I’ll quote a few..

Southern for me is friendly people. Down here in the South everyone smiles, waves or gives out a hello or two.

Being Southern means that you smile at folks, wave to neighbors and civil servants, and always speak kindly and respectfully. ‘Yes ma’am’, ‘no sir’, ‘thank you’, and please’ are engrained as automatic responses. Southern means always conduct yourself as if the Almighty is watching you. (That cuts down on the regrets you may have later). Being Southern is being proud of where you’re from and keeping in touch with family and friends.

But Southern to me means instant best friends everywhere you go. Being southern means having an incredible ability to withstand humidity and mosquitos. It means going to the 24-hour Wal-Mart when you’re bored. It means swinging off the rope swing into rock quarries. It means understanding what good bbq is. It means running into at least one person you know at Kroger’s everytime you go. True, it does mean lots of religion and a pretty stubborn streak of social backwardness, but while you’re there at least you get plenty of smiles and great food.

southerners ARE more friendly than in most other regions of the country, although they are just as likely to falter in morality as anyone else.
at least people here do acknowledge each others’ existances in friendly hellos and with help in times of need, and they care enough about everyone to try to teach them what they think is the way to salvation. (they may not be right, but at least they care enough to try.)
in other areas of the country people act like you want to hump their leg if you just say hello……must be a very lonely existance.

Now.. Me.. Being me.. I’ve got to rebel and go against the crowd.. I’ll give you that in the south there are a lot of friendly people. But there are friendly people everywhere. I do not proudly wear a southern label. I’m from the south. I’m not southern. All that means is that I live in the south. It’s not who I am or what I am.
Southern has a dirty label on it. Rednecks, hicks, everyone wears cowboy boots and cowboy hats, drives real big trucks, we all have cows, and dirt roads, we all talk redneck not English, we all eat fried food and grits, ect, ect, ect. The list could go on forever. Being southern is nothing more than living in the south. The old stereotype no longer works. As things have changed. Some people are friendly. But for the most part they are the same as anywhere else. Times have changed. Crime has gone up. I don’t know where the people leaving the comments are from but they are trying to hold on to the old stereotype of what southern is. Living here while not as violent as other places. People over time.. They have stopped talking to their neighbors they don’t always know someone in the store. People have pulled away from the idea of community and replaced it with fear,being busy, and convenience. Now there are those who are still good as gold and southern as it comes “folks”. But since times have changed, crime has gone up, and people worry more about their careers and less about their kids and family, the old southern stereotype isn’t what it was once cracked up to be.

The one thing people think of when they hear “southern” is lack of intelligence. I do not wish to be labeled a redneck. My husband could easily wear that label but I do not wish to wear it. I’m proud of where I’m from even though sometimes I wish to run away. But I’m not a slow ignorant redneck. And last time I checked, most of the people here aren’t either. They are hard working people. Some leave a lot to be desired while others are great. But that’s everywhere..

I still stick to the idea that labels suck. Its kinda like the idea that when someone finds out your a stay at home mom. They assume that you speak in toddler, do the PTA thing, cook every day, ect.. I’m not your typical mom.. Far from it bud.. Sometimes I wish I was.. But I must rebel against the label!