The Truth About Southerners by A Southerner
65The Truth About Southerners by A Southerner
I am a southerner. I have been since I was conceived. And, I never plan to live anywhere except the south. I will celebrate my 40 years of being southern next month. And just so you know, I have left the south on occasion. One of the places I have visited was California for a vacation. While there, I somehow became a tourist attraction. As soon as they heard my voice (which I admit, I do sound extremely southern) people would say... "Talk! Just say something, anything!" If i heard that one time, I heard it one hundred. I should have charged those people to talk to me lol. I guess Hollywood felt they knew how we talk. I have heard them alot on movies and it always amuses me since they seem to screw it up 99% of the time. So, I kinda figured since they had someone who was actually FROM the south there, I amused them. Which, in turn amused me. Because, you see, I am not the one who had an accent. It was all of them!
I get tons of email from a friend who lives in New Jersey, about things like "You know you're a redneck when....." Admit it, you've read them too. But I would like to go on record as saying that all of those things you read are NOT the truth. Some may have tiny bits of truth, some may be total turth, but please keep in mind when reading those, that we do have some dignity down here and would like for the rest of the world to know it. But, if the world never finds out, we will go on living just the way we do, and we'll be happy about it!
The following are some questions I am asked by notherners. (aka yakees) Why do you fry everything? Well, we don't. Yes, we do have frying pans, and yes, we do fry somethings. But that is a truth that has been blown way out of poportion. Do any of you southern girls graduate high school without giving birth first? As a matter of fact we do have the occasional girl graduate high school, and for a few of us, college, without having children first. I am one of those people. I graduated college and was married 8 years before giving birth. I am kidding when I say few, because the truth is we have many many to graduate before starting a family. If you look at the entire United States, teens having babies before they graduate is happening in every state, not just the southern ones. Is it a requirement to marry into your own family? I do not know anyone who is married to a family member. I'm sure at some point this happens, but where it has happened, I don't know. For the record, I have all my own teeth...the ones given by God, not by a dentist. Why do southerners love their dogs so much? Well, I'd like to stop a minute right here and compare our love of dogs vs. the love people north of the Mason-Dixon line have for their dogs. One difference I have noticed is that we don't tend to dress our dogs up like they do up there. I guess we figure that God gave our dogs what they need to wear and He knows what He's doing, so why mess with it? Yes, we do love our dogs here. We have many hunting dogs down here. And in case you are wondering, yes, we do eat what we kill. (Well, most of us do.) My family had 2 deer in the freezer this winter. It's a lean meat that has none of that artifical stuff they put in meat in factories. (So it's a healthier meat than that bought in stores.) Some of you are turning your noses up at that. That's ok. I will not force you to eat with us. Although my husband makes the best deer bbq in the world and you are missing out if you never eat some.
One tradition we do have, and one I am proud of is that we support our soldiers. You can't go half a mile and not see yellow ribbons and magnets on cars with messages that support our troops. We get a bad name for so many things here, but that is one thing I'm very proud of. I doesn't matter who is in the White House, if troops are sent, our men and women wil proudly go and fight, and we fully support them, no matter what. It doesn't matter if we voted for the man who sent them to war or not, we love our country! It's the greatest country God ever made and we will let you know that without question!
This is the Bible Belt, (YES! we take pride in that!) and although all of us may not be in church every single time the door is open, just try to come down here and bad-mouth our Lord and Savior. Yes, we know who He is, we talk to Him, we KNOW Him and there's rarely a house here that doesn't have less than 2 Bibles in it. We are not afraid of standing for what we believe, no matter who it bothers. Becasuse we know that right is right. (I guess that is something we are not known for.......being politically correct. But, I hope that never changes. If you dont' stand for something, you'll fall for anything!)
Another thing that has been asked of me is about the KKK. As I have said, I have lived here almost 40 years and I have never seen a KKK member, I don't know any and I have never seen any KKK activities (burning crosses, etc.)
Another thing I am asked is about the confederate flag. When I see that flag, what it says to me is that this is the south. It's not about color or race. I know that that is something that so many people have taken and run with, claiming that it is over slavery or color. Well, none of the people in my circle are like that. I'm sure some are, and I'm sure there are people like that in every single state. That has nothing to do with a piece of cloth with an X on it. That has to do with people's hearts. I have friends of all colors and I respect them all, but I am also proud to be from the south. Yes, that is possible to do at the same time!
People talk about being prejudice. Well, I feel that we are victims of prejudice. We are too dumb, too backward, too uneducated, too anything to amount to much! We are the butt of zillions of jokes. But the way I have found of dealing with those people who have no idea what they are talking about is, I laugh. That's right. I laugh! Why would I let them get to me? They are the uneducated, backward, closed-minded people who are judging me without knowing me. So, go ahead, judge me. And I'll thank you for the laugh. I know what I am, I know what I'm not. I am a God-frearing, Bible-reading, gun-toting, green tomato frying, going to Wal-Mart weekly, redneck southern woman. And I'm proud of it!
If any of you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them.
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Great hub! Incidentally, the term "redneck" originally was applied to union busters in northern coal mine country. They would wear red kerchiefs around their necks to identify themselves (like soldier uniforms) when they showed up in mobs and with sticks and stones (really big ones) to beat the heck out of coal miners attempting to unionize. So the true meaning of "redneck" is: A cowardly Yankee who needs a mob with him and a little chump change to brutally enforce the wishes of their betters - the proletariots; the industrialists; the boss; the man. A lemming. A sheep. Next time someone calls you a redneck, tell 'em to stick THAT in their Union Jack! I love having the last word and pass the grits. But I digress...Great hub! Thanks.
great hub i know they always want you to say something and some think we are like beverly hillbillies
all that i know have a good heart and will do just about anything they can do to help you when you down
God Bless
Thank you for the sweet comment. It's greatly appreciated.
Love your hub. I live way up north and have been made fun of from the day I came. They are always correcting words I use that have the southern sound....red, hill, wash etc. I am proud to be from the south and I fly my confederate flag. I once had a woman who told me she was moving to the south for a job, she said she knew they were stupid in the south but she needed the job. That's when I told her I was from the south and didn't feel I was stupid. Her mouth dropped open and I loved it.
Enjoyed your hub.
I come from the South too. South Africa and we have many people here who are just like you describe Southerners. Warm , homely, God fearing, salt of earth people who like to hunt and eat what they kill. They spend time with family at weekends, holidays and Christmas. They many uncles Aunts and cousins some pretty enough to kiss too.They will take the shirt of their backs for you.
Interesting how our similarities are not so different.
Great Hub
moonlake, thanks for the comment and keep that flag flyin!!!
sixtyorso, it's great to find other southerners around the globe!! Thanks for the comment!
Thank you both for stopping by. I really appreciate it! :)
You tell 'em girl! I couldn't have said this better myself! I have traveled all over the U.S. and when I compare the difference in the areas as far as hospitality and other such things, I'll take the south any day! Many people just don't realize how many famous people come from the south and Mississippi itself! Authors, singers, actors, you name it! I really think that many who have never been to the south just can't comprehend the fact that we simply believe in living a simple, quiet life and it is hard fr them to understand. I have lived in the south all of my 46 and counting years and I will be here until God comes to take me to my eternal home. That will be much farther north than I have been in my travels I hope!
Seriously, this is an excellent, heartfelt hub and I thank you for writing it! It sounds as if we have a lot in common!
Bonnie
Bonnie,
Thanks for your sweet comments. And I know EXACTLY what you mean about our area. I'm proud to say that I'm from here. I think simple quiet living is really not understood unless you have had a chance to live it. Which I have, and, like you, I plan on doing so til God calls me Home. And I also feel like we have alot in common. :) Thanks for reading my hub.
When I was visiting a friend in the South I thought I entered the twighlight zone, here are some examples...Driving down the street people waved at you, everyone I met shook my hand with a welcoming smile, and the big one was....in a grocery store parking lot when there is an open spot to park, people actually waved for you to go to that spot, instead of fighting for the parking spot and racing to see who gets it first you are conversing using hand jesters letting the other person go first...amazing! But I have one more question for you, when I have been to the south on numerous occasions and ask the people I meet "What is your nationality?" they did not like that question, the only response I got is "I am an American" I don't mean any harm by asking that because in the areas where I have lived that is a common question that you ask someone when you meet them and of course you know that they are American. So have you encountered this aswell and do you find that question insulting?
Well, I'm glad that you enjoyed your experience down here. And what you saw are the nomral things for us to do everyday. I've had queit a few people from up north to say the same things as you did to me. They seemed shocked at our actions like that. The questions about nationality is a southern way to respond, I suppose. I think some may not understand that you are simply asking where their ancestors came from. (That is your question, right?) Down here, it has always been a huge since of pride to be from the United States. Most of us don't look back any futher than to know that much about our nationality. We know we are from America and that's all that matters to most southerners. And some take it as an offense that you might be suggesting they are from somewhere besides America. It's actually a funny thing to me that they answer like that. But, my guess is that they are just not sure what you mean exactly by it. I don't know if I've ever heard anyone down here ask that question and use the word nationality. Down here it's just 'Where are you from?' I'm laughing as I type this because I can just see some people wondering why you'd ask that and they probably aren't sure how to answer it. LOL People down here feel that America is the one and only place to be from. That is a resource of a great deal of pride. I'm sorry if any of us came across as harsh to you. I know they didn't mean to be. They just probably aren't used to the question and wasn't quiet sure how to answer it. LOL I'm still laughing. When a southernern takes pride in something, we tend to take it to an extreme degree. But you come back down and visit every chance you get!! Thanks so much for reading my hub and for taking your time to comment. It's much appreciated! :) If you have any more questions, I'll do my best to answer them.
Being from massachusetts it sounds like Heaven on earth down there. I would be proud to be a southerner also.
Dean
DK5, Thanks so much for taking your time to read my hub. I appreciate your nice comments. Please come on down and visit anytime and see for yourself.
You need to get out more. Expanding your horizons will help expand your mind.
Thanks for the unsolicitied advice. But, I'm happy with my state of mind. Guess I'll stay where I am.
I wanted to check this hub long ago, and finally I did it. I’m sure glad I did! For the first time I’ve learnt that southerners are different when I was working at a factory, not too long after we settled here in Wisconsin. One of my co-workers asked me, “What accent do you have?”, and another answered for me with a laugh, “Southern!” Then they explained to me that people from South have an outstanding way of talking. Not the way I sound, it was just their joke. They meant that if one is not used to an accent, it’s hard to understand it before you get used to it. It was then that I told them, “For me, I am not the one with an accent, it’s you!”
Thank you for showing your pride and not being shy to do so. I should admit that you are much more open-minded than many northerners or other “erners” that I know. :-)
ReuVera, Thanks so much for checking out my hub and commeting. And thanks for the compliment! LOL I have a friend who lives in New Jersey. She claims when we talk on the phone, that she has to put her ears back down in 1st gear so she can understand me. She's sooooo funny! I miss her so much. She moved back up there several years ago. She lived down here for about a year and worked at the same hostpital I did. That's how we met. She has me call her mother a few times a year just to talk to her because she loves to hear the way I talk. LOLOL I've been asked to read poems at several weddings because of my accent. I can't actually hear it. Seems people down here feel I have on that is stronger than they do. Which is strange, I think. Again, I can't hear it at all. When I was in jr high school, my mother had me put in speech class to try to take away some of my accent. But, the teacher told her that there's no way to change it. Guess I'm hopeless :( Oh well, too old to change now LOL! Thanks for coming by. Please come back anytime!!
Constant Walker says:
17 months ago
Thank you, AllShookUp. I'm the one who made the request. Rodney Southern answered it, too. It's funny, recommended reading.
A couple decades ago I met a cousin-by-marriage from Oklahoma (is that considered "the south"?) named Ronnie, also my name. We hit it off immediately, and hungout a lot. I loved to just listen to the guy talk, just as he got a kick out of my "California surfer-boy" accent. We met each other with a lot of preconceived notions about the others' culture, and soon broke those down to realize we were very much alike, just from different places. Then he joined the service and I never saw him again.
We did not agree on everything, but we respected each other's intelligence and reasons for why we felt the way we did. Could you ask for more?
Thanks again.