# Headed to the deep south for the first time



## BryanJ62 (Oct 8, 2013)

I was born and raised in Western Washington (about 50 miles south of Canada). I've lived in Western Oregon (Eugene) for the other half of my life. This Friday I fly south to Dallas, Texas and from there I head to Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama and maybe Tennessee. This will be a first for me. Any suggestions for you southerners? That is assuming they are any Southerners on the board???


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## Ariel (Oct 8, 2013)

Being a Missourian and a "city slicker" I don't quite qualify for Deep South but in general I'd have to say don't treat us like we're complete backwater idiots--we're not.


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## Robert_S (Oct 8, 2013)

purged


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## Morkonan (Oct 8, 2013)

BryanJ62 said:


> ...Any suggestions for you southerners? That is assuming they are any Southerners on the board???



Sweet Iced Tea is the house wine of the South. You will consistently find it South of the Mason Dixon line and North of the Florida border. Florida, btw, counts as a Canadian Territory. 

I'm not sure what sorts of suggestions you'd like. If you're going to Mississippi, try to see the Mississippi river and read some Mark Twain, while you're at it. Also, when you get a chance to hit the areas bordering the Gulf of Mexico, don't pass up the opportunity for great seafood. Likewise, when you get to lowland and wetland areas, try some Crawfish! Mmmm... tasty. Fried Chicken, Barbeque and the all-important, never-to-be-forgotten Southern delicacy of "grits" is a must-eat. You simply can't pass up that sort of opportunity. (Shrimp & Grits is a common Southern dish.)


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## Robert_S (Oct 8, 2013)

purged


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## Myers (Oct 8, 2013)

Morkonan said:


> (Shrimp & Grits is a common Southern dish.)



Shrimp and grits is only a traditional food in the low country of South      Carolina, maybe coastal Georgia. Elsewhere in the south, it's a relatively new dish, mostly served in more trendy restaurants, and it's not very common. You're not going to find it at a diner or a meat-and-three.


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## Pluralized (Oct 8, 2013)

> Any suggestions for you southerners?



Well, I'm a transplant, but I live in Georgia. If you're headed through Tennessee, you're in for a treat. It's quite hilly, picturesque, and if you can stomach all the billboards, beautiful. Food's good, but steer clear of anything connected to a gas station. The further east you get, the more mountainous, and if you get over to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, you can do some tourist-shopping. Get a tattoo in a questionable environment. Alabama has killer barbeque, but watch your back! I've never been so creeped out in my life as when I drove through Alabama (no offense to any of the locals, just a very different place). You can find good food, nice weather this time of year, and some really interesting people-watching in the south. Good luck, and enjoy your trip!

If you're in Dallas and want to check out the nightlife, go to "Che." It's sure to be the craziest night you've ever had. I nearly got stabbed there, and I'm pretty unobtrusive. Still, it's a place to see.


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## beanlord56 (Oct 8, 2013)

The four basic food groups of the South are cornbread, BBQ, Chick-Fil-A, and sweet tea. Chick-Fil-A can be substituted for fried chicken in general, as it can be difficult to find one outside of Georgia.
You need to say "y'all" for your plural second-person pronoun.
You don't yell, shout, or scream; you holler. 
Florida is not part of the South. It's either a Canadian state/province disguised as a US state, or it's the Yankees only outpost in the South.
When referring to anyone from New England, you call them a "Yankee," or if you want to be historical, and maybe a bit crude, you say "damn Yankee."
Faith, family and food are the three most important things in our lives. Football too, if you're into that kind of thing.


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## Pandora (Oct 9, 2013)

I'm a transplant also 23 years now. I miss the bar on every corner that Milwaukee has to offer.
Great responses here, I'll add  ...
don't ask anyone where the 'bubbler' is they won't know what that is. If you stay long enough 
you might pick up the saying 'tore up' I have and rather like it. Oh and a shopping cart is a buggy. 

Southerners are very proud, very connected to family and heritage.
If you see a Rebel flag flown do not assume it is out negative motives. They are probably honoring lost ancestors.
Southern men are very polite but I still prefer that Wisconsin accent over all others ... aina hey?


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## BryanJ62 (Oct 9, 2013)

Great stuff. Thanks everyone! The friend who I am traveling with was born and raised in Mississippi so that will help out a lot. Looks like we are also headed into Arkansas for a day or two. One of the things on our schedule is a football game in Alabama. 105,000 screaming, dedicated Crimson Tide fans. I will dress in their colors and safely blend in. My wife and kids are sending me off solo which means I'll have to tend to myself for the first time in many years. In other words I'll eat like a pig and go without a shower for a day or two. Life is short. Live a little I say


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## bookmasta (Oct 9, 2013)

Robert_S said:


> You're not, but when I was down in the Texarkana area some time back, visiting my dad's side of the family after he passed away, I came across a friend of the family that had married his first cousin and they had deliverance kids.
> 
> And here, I thought it was just a movie.


Reality can be stranger than fiction at times.


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## Myers (Oct 9, 2013)

I was born and raised in Alabama, lived in Birmingham, Mobile and went to Auburn, and I have friends and relatives throughout the south. American culture is so homogenized these days, and that includes the south. If you go outside the larger cities, you'll see what you might think are typical southerners or even "rednecks," but other than the more obvious trappings, they aren't that much different than rural/working class people anywhere in the U.S. The stereotypical things that you most often associate with the south; southern hospitably, the food, any affinity with Old South, all that is mostly fading away. Sorry, but I think if you're looking for some big, noticeable cultural difference, you might be disappointed. The football game should be pretty awesome though, game day in the SEC is a blast and quite the spectacle. Of course, I'm an Auburn fan, so I've never been to a game in enemy territory.


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## WechtleinUns (Oct 9, 2013)

It's going to be hotter than your used to. And more humid. 

Also, Dallas is pretty nice, but it's about as far from "Deep South", culturally, than any other large metropilitan area. You'll see plenty of liberal yuppies up there, rich bankers, etc etc.

Although, if there's one thing you should try to do while in texas: "Enchiladas Verdes".


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## Whisper (Oct 9, 2013)

Stay out of the mountains and if anyone, and I mean anyone, tells you that you have a perrdy mouth, run.


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## BryanJ62 (Oct 9, 2013)

_*


Whisper said:



			Stay out of the mountains and if anyone, and I mean anyone, tells you that you have a perrdy mouth, run.
		
Click to expand...

    :rofl:
*_


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## FleshEater (Oct 9, 2013)

I'm jealous! 

Southern food is delicious, especially if you can find some authentic Cajun: Boudin, crawfish étouffée, gumbo, jumbalaya, fried okra, pough boys, etc. 

On the east, you have to try boiled peanuts. You might hate them at first, but try them twice. 


Have fun!


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## WechtleinUns (Oct 9, 2013)

"The boy's got a purrty mouth." <- I concur. RUN.

Also, FleshEater, I do love cajun food, which is lip-smacking good. I've only had the opportunity to travel through missippi and louisiana once. To be honest, it was not an experience I would like to repeat. In san antonio, brown skin can get you elected mayor. In mississipi? I went to denny's there, and they never seated us(for I was traveling with a friend). 

I mean, they put us on the waiting list, and then never seated us. My god, I've never felt such hostile stares. We eventually left and ended up eating at this small sushi-place.


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## BryanJ62 (Oct 10, 2013)

It looks like Georgia might be in the works as well. Our goal is to hit as many mom & pop joints in Mississippi. I can only imagine the shape my stomach will be in when I get home. Boiled Peanuts? I'll give it a shot. Penunut


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## BryanJ62 (Oct 10, 2013)

_*


WechtleinUns said:



			"The boy's got a purrty mouth." <- I concur. RUN.

Also, FleshEater, I do love cajun food, which is lip-smacking good. I've only had the opportunity to travel through missippi and louisiana once. To be honest, it was not an experience I would like to repeat. In san antonio, brown skin can get you elected mayor. In mississipi? I went to denny's there, and they never seated us(for I was traveling with a friend). 

I mean, they put us on the waiting list, and then never seated us. My god, I've never felt such hostile stares. We eventually left and ended up eating at this small sushi-place.
		
Click to expand...

 I come from a small valley in Northern Washington and if you drive east to the little towns near the mountains it is best to be white. On the other hand I was once in Oakland, CA and my white behind could not get out of there fast enough. There are pockets of this type of behavior everywhere. Some people are just that way and you can't change them.                                                                                                                                                                                  
*_


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## Leyline (Oct 11, 2013)

The sheer amount of mindless prejudice in this thread saddens me.


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## Myers (Oct 11, 2013)

As someone born and raised in the south, I have to agree with that. In my previous post, I was trying to say that the south really isn't all that different from other regions, except for some pretty superficial things; and overall, southerners are generally more politically conservative and religious. But it seems like southerners are always fair game. Coming from Alabama, I've more or less gotten used to the incest and _Deliverance _type jokes. But it can still be pretty annoying at times.


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## The Tourist (Oct 11, 2013)

BryanJ62 said:


> *Any suggestions*



I would not rent a red, white and blue motorcycle...

I've been through the south and Texas on business and on vacation.  Throw away any concept of staying on your diet.  The food is fantastic.  

The women are beautiful, their accents are disarming, and more than once I thought about relocating there just for the ambiance.  You will have a wonderful time!


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## Myers (Oct 11, 2013)

I’ve had my share of greasy fried chicken, mushy overcooked vegetables, slimy greens and okra, lumpy grits and tasteless, fatty barbeque. You might have the diet part right, but the food is not always fantastic.


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## Whisper (Oct 11, 2013)

I have lived nearly my entire life in the South. I'll make fun of me if i want too.


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## Myers (Oct 11, 2013)

Oh please do. Even after hearing it a bazillion times, that “purdy mouth” joke is still hilarious!


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## Nickleby (Oct 11, 2013)

Someone mentioned "meat and three." That's a restaurant that builds its menu around one entree and three side dishes, which can include vegetables, dessert, or salad (around here that takes up two of your sides). Entrees can include anything from a salmon patty to fried chicken to liver&onions. Vegans should not go near such places, even the vegetables are cooked in animal fat. Green beans, for instance, often include fatback, which is nothing but pork. Have the sweet tea with a slice of lemon--in fact, good luck trying to get anything else.

College football is more like a religion in the South. Everything else stops on autumn Saturday afternoons. Alabama has the best team money can buy, and that's why they're #1.

People who fly Confederate flags say it's about heritage. It's not. That particular flag, the "stars and bars," was a naval jack, not the national flag. It didn't become popular until the 1950s, not coincidentally the time that civil rights became a visible issue.


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## FleshEater (Oct 11, 2013)

Myers said:


> Oh please do. Even after hearing it a bazillion times, that “purdy mouth” joke is still hilarious!



One of my favorite places to vacation is the mountains of West Virginia. Before I went there, I played into all the jokes (which if you didn't know, everyone south of PA is a rapist hillbilly that also enjoys incest). However, after spending at least two weeks down there, I realized that PA fit those jokes much better than the south. Even in lower income areas everyone took care of their lawns and homes and cars. Driving back home I passed an S-10 chevy with a rattle can camo paint job and Steeler stickers all over it. I laughed. 

One thing I will say, is that I am not usually welcomed very positively in those areas. The women are fine, it's the older men that would rather spit on me than speak to me. It's okay though, I can't blame them. My neck is covered in tattoos, both arms, and my hand...I probably look like I just escaped from prison to them. Ha-ha!


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## J Anfinson (Oct 12, 2013)

I've lived in Arkansas, Missouri, and now in Oklahoma. I'll concur on what someone said about the cities being civilized as any other. Even if you wander off onto a back road there's little chance anything will happen to you, other than a puzzled stare at your license plate. 99.9% percent of us are good folk just like you'd find anywhere else. However, I would suggest you don't wander TOO far off into the backwoods. Sometimes people grow stuff way back in the hills and that's not something you want to go pokin' yer nose into, although I'm sure that's not just a problem in the south.


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## Myers (Oct 12, 2013)

FleshEater said:


> Even in lower income areas everyone took care of their lawns and homes and cars.



I've  seen homes in varying condition in low-income areas of the rural south.  (And elsewhere in the U.S. for that matter.) Sometimes people can't  afford to maintain their homes, sometimes people just have different  priorities and don't give a damn what people will think if they keep a  fridge on the porch or work on their cars in front yard. In those same  yards, you'll sometimes see hydrangeas or flowers planted in painted  tires or galvanized wash tubs; just different ideas of beautification.

A lot of this  thread is pretty funny though, like as soon as you drive over the  Mason-Dixon, it's like your going into some kind of cultural amusement  park, or an Oz populated by slack jawed rednecks and beautiful southern  belles with honey-coated accents. Stay close to the cities, because  they're somewhat "civilized," but don't stray too far or you'll likely  be jumped by a band of hillbilly rapists. And it's funny when I say it,  because I live here. Har har har.

And believe it or not,  traditional southern food is pretty hard to come by. It's the same in  the south as anywhere. Mom and Pop restaurants and diners are being run  out of business by franchises and chain restaurants. And what was good at your grandma's is often pretty mediocre at the average meat-and-three place anyway. You can sometimes find a  good barbecue place, generally not in or near the cities. But if you  want fried chicken in much of the south, chances are you're going to  have to get it at KFC, and your best bet for grits is going to be a Waffle House.


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## The Tourist (Oct 12, 2013)

I like the south because of the mindset, both positive and negative.  It's refreshing sometimes to just hear the unvarnished truth.  Even then you get a smile and some pecan pie.

My area is scathingly duplicitous.  Yikes, I'm so tired of agendas I think sometimes Jeff Probst ought to come to Madison and start voting people off the isthmus.

Yes, I've been through areas of the deep south where sharecroppers looked like they stepped right out of "Gone With The Wind."  In 1964 I heard nightriders tear through a small town, deface a Stuckeys and burn a cross on the outskirts of the burg.  My dad moved to a smaller area outside of Asheville and heard V8 engines running all night, finding it was rumrunners.

But I've seen basic decency, a resurgence of our founding states' rights individuality, and I've actually seen people work for a living.  And I will say this without fear of contradiction, the next person I meet who's a straight shooter, has a work ethic, coupled with enjoying the simple beauty of friends, food and pretty girls will most likely correspond with me in a drawl.


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## Myers (Oct 12, 2013)

Just more generalizations. There is no single "mindset" in the south. And 1964? Please.


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## The Tourist (Oct 12, 2013)

Myers said:


> Just more generalizations. There is no single "mindset" in the south. And 1964? Please.



Yup, really happened.  I got to see history right up close and personal.

But moreover, I sense a dichotomy between us.  We both might be served good chicken and bad grits--I'll praise the bird, you'll trash the hominy.

Of more than two dozen bikes I've own in my life, my little bike--the best vehicle I've ever owned--shakes, rattles, snorts and had to have the entire suspension replaced.  Well, duh, it derives from a 1952 design.

I'm more concerned about finding solutions to problems, not problems with solutions.


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## Pandora (Oct 12, 2013)

Speaking of Gone With the Wind I live in the heart of it. Our little town, Jonesboro Ga, has the train depot preserved from that time. 
The tiny nameless confederate grave yard gated across the street. The Old White House on the hill that was the hospital. 
Tara Museum, the white historic mansion further down the road that has tours and events. 
There is the yearly Confederate reenactment that takes you right back to the day. I have loved the movie since I was a little girl. 
To live amongst it all now something I would never have guessed, funny where life takes you. I'm honored to know 
and love the Old South and the new. I look at it with loving eyes and see the good.

Enjoy your stay in Georgia!


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## The Tourist (Oct 12, 2013)

Pandora said:


> I'm honored to know and love the Old South and the new. I look at it with loving eyes and see the good.



Ya' know, so am I!  In fact, this thread has got me Jonesing for a trip south.  I've always had a great time on the gulf.  Maybe I should leave the sub-zero climes this winter and go see the sights in your area!


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## Pandora (Oct 12, 2013)

The Tourist said:


> Ya' know, so am I!  In fact, this thread has got me Jonesing for a trip south.  I've always had a great time on the gulf.  Maybe I should leave the sub-zero climes this winter and go see the sights in your area!



And I your Madison ... Governor Dodge State Park, some fine memories and Devils Lake too.
Yes and come on down y'all !


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## Myers (Oct 12, 2013)

The Tourist said:


> But moreover, I sense a dichotomy between us.  We both might be served good chicken and bad grits--I'll praise the bird, you'll trash the hominy.



I just try to judge people as individuals, if I’m inclined to judge at all; and I don’t like generalizing and assigning attributes, either negative or positive, to entire populations, whether it’s a multi-state region or single town.  You on the other hand, seem to have no issue with that at all. That’s the dichotomy I sense.



The Tourist said:


> Yup, really happened.  I got to see history right up close and personal.



Not doubting it happened. But it's 2013, not 1963.


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## The Tourist (Oct 12, 2013)

Pandora said:


> And I your Madison ... Governor Dodge State Park, some fine memories and Devils Lake too.  Yes and come on down y'all !



While in the area, come to Wyalusing State Park.  A little jewel, I could hike that place for weeks!

My favorite area is the bluff over the confluence.  If God made anything more beautiful He kept it for Himself...

http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/name/wyalusing/


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## Pandora (Oct 12, 2013)

I've gotten in some heated debates about the generalizations of the South and Southerners. I wonder how can 
people know if they have never lived and loved the South or a Southerner. It's kind of like Pit Bulls. To know and love one
certainly changes all of them. It opens the mind and heart to what's good about them. It also speaks to how they are raised.
Same with people. Anyways it comes down to we are all basically the same. We have our traditions, our passions, our preferences. 
Good and bad in every area of the world. I'm a Yankee living and loving in the South for over two decades. 
The South has changed me in many positive ways and the South is evolving as well...
now we can buy Liquor on Sundays ... hooray well after church is out. Hypocrisy knows no borders.


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## Pandora (Oct 12, 2013)

Oh Wyalusing a favorite with the Indian Mounds, Perot too. That pic is so beautiful your words too.

Oh you bring back so many vivid memories and in my favorite time of year. Nothing like camping in the fall.
I could go on and on, the senses thrilled with all we have. I hope you get a chance to get to one of the parks.
It must be leaf peaking time there by now. We are waiting, it will be the first week of November for us. 
We have a trip planned to NC to see a concert, hoping some leaf peeping will still going on.


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## Myers (Oct 12, 2013)

Pandora said:


> I've gotten in some heated debates about the generalizations of the South and Southerners. I wonder how can
> people know if they have never lived and loved the South or a Southerner.



It's a good question. I don't know either. It's huge a diverse, multi-state region. But I was born and raised in Alabama, and have friends and relatives throughout the south, including Georgia; so I know a little something about it.


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## WechtleinUns (Oct 12, 2013)

We really shouldn't worry so much about generalizations. You can't have a conversation about anything of sufficient complexity without resorting to generalizations. And if you try to enforce politically correct speech on such conversations, then the only conversation you can have is about how "generalizations don't work".

Well, naturally. Of course. But then, general statements aren't meant to accurately describe these complex ideas. You don't need to have a perfectly accurate description of the south to generalize about it. That's the beauty of generalization: It allows you to have a conversation in the first place.

What I see more and more often is that people get upset if a generalization about them doesn't apply, specifically, to them. So, you've got situations where, if someone says that black people commit crimes, any individual who is black and who has not committed a crime is entitled to jump up and cry foul.

That's the culture at the moment, sure. The problem, however, is the effect that this has on national discussion. If one black man is allowed to dismiss the generalization of all black people on the merits of his specific attributes alone, then the situation of higher statistical crime rates amongst black americans becomes un-discussable.

But when you can't discuss such things, then you eliminate any possibility of addressing them. The idea that seems to have prevailed is to bury all ethnic generalizations and try not to look at them. This only has the effect, however, of robbing us of any analytical tools that we might use to address such situations.

To use me as an example: My favorite television presenter is Richard Hammond, from the U.K.'s Top Gear. Richard hammond said that mexicans were lazy, sleepy, dumb, etc(by the way, I'm paraphrasing. But that generalization allows me to discuss the gist of what he said more efficiently, see? ).

Now, naturally, there are plenty of people that live in mexico that don't fit any aspect of that description. These people hollered bloody murder, and there was a big to-do about the whole thing. However, Richard Hammond wasn't addressing any one of these rich, successful mexicans. He was just addressing the general concept of "Mexican".

I am not the general concept of "Mexican," in much the same way that I am not the general concept of "Texan" or "Southerner". There's no possible way that any description or statement can represent these concepts with absolute precision. If you really, really wanted ABSOLUTE precision, you might as well drop the words altogether and just have a go at it with extremely convoluted and complex mathematical equations.

The point is that we don't need to have absolute precision. We only need to have enough precision to enable us to talk about the situation. Enough precision to where we can find some common ground. Once we get to that point, then we can start reaching a broader consensus, etc.

Besides, have you ever tried to read a discription of a people done entirely in mathematics? It's kind of boring. 

The PSA brought to you by: *Southern Mexicans Group: It's OK to be (somewhat?)racist.*​

:edit:

Please don't throw rocks at me.


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## Pandora (Oct 12, 2013)

Myers said:


> It's a good question. I don't know either. It's huge a diverse, multi-state region. But I was born and raised in Alabama, and have friends and relatives throughout the south, including Georgia; so I know a little something about it.


Oh yes you do. I am a transplant with shallow roots having enough time though to make the South a big part of my life. 
I am proud and blessed to be here. I too have ancestors who were Southerners and my father was on the chain gang
 long long ago, minor infraction... ha!

I have been through your beautiful state. Coming down from Wisconsin when the kids were tiny. 
They slept through the night and awoke in Alabama. They thought they were in OZ !  so beautiful with the azaleas 
and blooming trees, but the green, so green, was breathtaking. It's a nice memory. One I will never forget ... neighbor!


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## Myers (Oct 12, 2013)

WechtleinUns said:


> We really shouldn't worry so much about generalizations. You can't have a conversation about anything of sufficient complexity without resorting to generalizations.



Of course. But so far, the generalizations have been mostly lazy and superficial or might have applied in 1960. Add the stereotypes and the requisite and stale _Deliverance_ joke. But I'll keep an eye on the thread; maybe a conversation of sufficient complexity will get underway at some point. It ain't happened yet.


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## Pandora (Oct 12, 2013)

WechtleinUns said:


> We really shouldn't worry so much about generalizations. You can't have a conversation about anything of sufficient complexity without resorting to generalizations. And if you try to enforce politically correct speech on such conversations, then the only conversation you can have is about how "generalizations don't work".
> 
> Well, naturally. Of course. But then, general statements aren't meant to accurately describe these complex ideas. You don't need to have a perfectly accurate description of the south to generalize about it. That's the beauty of generalization: It allows you to have a conversation in the first place.
> 
> ...


Oh frowny smilie, no rocks here. I think if generalizations are negative as with one of your examples, 
it is rightfully so  going to rile someone. If it was a positive statement who's going to not take that happily. 

We were showing our house lately trying to sell by owner.
The realtor pointed out the fact we live by electrical lines that people don't want to live by those. That was a generalization,
a negative one though based in some truth. I said 'ah but they do' and gave her a ;-) 
Did she really not think I knew that? That perhaps 16 years ago we tussled with the same view when buying our home.
She preceded to make many generalizations as we walked through our home with her buyers. 
My point is,  negative brings more negative, so if we generalize, when we are inclined to, if we spin it positive in a helping way
perhaps it will be more welcomed. Isn't that something we all want . . . to be welcomed in? To be understood
and agreed with? 
This realtor will not be my choice if we list our home to represent us. In fact when she left I said they do not deserve my home,
they are haters. I guess I can generalize with the best of them, don't you know.


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## Myers (Oct 12, 2013)

Pandora said:


> Oh yes you do. I am a transplant with shallow roots having enough time though to make the South a big part of my life.
> I am proud and blessed to be here. I too have ancestors who were Southerners and my father was on the chain gang
> long long ago, minor infraction... ha!
> 
> ...



Pandora, I like your observations and your general outlook. We're currently not neighbors, we're in Dallas, at least for the time being. But we may be moving back to Birmingham sooner than we expected. And I've got relatives in Fairburn; just a stone's throw from you.


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## The Tourist (Oct 12, 2013)

WechtleinUns said:


> We really shouldn't worry so much about generalizations. You can't have a conversation about anything of sufficient complexity without resorting to generalizations.



Granted, but we also have to realize it's a forum.  Yes, we exchange ideas, but after two or three paragraphs most of our eyes glaze over.

Frankly, I'm not a big fan of people who parse what I've written instead of offering a rebuttal.  And nine times out of ten it's just an application of "the white crow gambit."  If these guys can demonstrate I dangled a participle or typed the wrong vowel then certainly my entire position is flawed.

I've been using the "ignore" feature more often.  And I'll keep doing it until they invent "kinetic keyboards."  I have a mean left hook.

@Pandi.  Got your note.  I agree.  Come north, I'll buy you a beer and brat...


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## BryanJ62 (Nov 1, 2013)

Got back last Saturday night (October 26th). I caught a bug or some other type of creature so I haven't been on the computer much. My plans were to send out a query this week....forget that and to work on my current project....ya, right. I see I have created quiet the thread. Next time I'll go mobile and take the tread with me. I'm still using the cheap version of cell phones. Thanks for all the amazing advice and opinions. I spent most of my time in a little town called Iuka, Mississippi. We stayed at my friends in-laws. It is a little town where everybody remembers your name, everyone waves at you and the women love to hold your hand when talking. We went to Alabama and partied with the Crimson Tide on their victory over Arkansas, we checked out a park in Tennessee, saw the Clinton library in Little Rock, drove the back roads of Mississippi and Alabama and took a boat out on the lake near Iuka. The people were beautiful, kind and I miss them. I was reminded by a local that they do not have an accent, I do. He was right. Every time I talked many people would stop, listen and smile. One little boy said I sounded silly. If you have never been there please go. But I do believe it helps if you travel with someone born and raised in the area. It helps to have a guide at least for me it did. Hopefully I can go back. It was one of the finest two weeks I've ever had.


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## Kevin (Nov 1, 2013)

Sounds like a great trip. Yes, a local to guide you...excellent.



> caught a bug or some other type of creature


 Must've drank the water...


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## SungmanituTanka (Nov 1, 2013)

The Tourist said:


> But I've seen basic decency, a resurgence of our founding states' rights individuality, and I've actually seen people work for a living.  And I will say this without fear of contradiction, the next person I meet who's a straight shooter, has a work ethic, coupled with enjoying the simple beauty of friends, food and pretty girls will most likely correspond with me in a drawl.



LOL! Well, at least one of them will anyway. I may be a whole lot north these days, but I was raised in TN. 

In the backwoods, actually, way up in the mountains where cops don't even want to go. The kind of place where you call 911 at night, you won't see them til the morning light. And don't anyone tell me it's not that way these days, since my dad still lives there and it most certainly is. But the thing is, as crazy as they may seem to 'city' people, all they really want is to be left alone. They want to take care of their family, enjoy a drink on the porch, and not get bitched at for working on their car or bike in the front yard (cause there ain't a thing wrong with that). First and foremost they're just people like everyone else. They just happen to be a little more selective with those that they let in to their circles. More than even that - if you're in with them they'll do anything in the world to help you if you're in need.


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## SungmanituTanka (Nov 1, 2013)

BryanJ62 said:


> Got back last Saturday night (October 26th). I caught a bug or some other type of creature so I haven't been on the computer much. My plans were to send out a query this week....forget that and to work on my current project....ya, right. I see I have created quiet the thread. Next time I'll go mobile and take the tread with me. I'm still using the cheap version of cell phones. Thanks for all the amazing advice and opinions. I spent most of my time in a little town called Iuka, Mississippi. We stayed at my friends in-laws. It is a little town where everybody remembers your name, everyone waves at you and the women love to hold your hand when talking. We went to Alabama and partied with the Crimson Tide on their victory over Arkansas, we checked out a park in Tennessee, saw the Clinton library in Little Rock, drove the back roads of Mississippi and Alabama and took a boat out on the lake near Iuka. The people were beautiful, kind and I miss them. I was reminded by a local that they do not have an accent, I do. He was right. Every time I talked many people would stop, listen and smile. One little boy said I sounded silly. If you have never been there please go. But I do believe it helps if you travel with someone born and raised in the area. It helps to have a guide at least for me it did. Hopefully I can go back. It was one of the finest two weeks I've ever had.



Very glad you enjoyed yourself  (though I'm sorry to hear that you got sick)


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## The Tourist (Nov 1, 2013)

SungmanituTanka said:


> In the backwoods, actually, way up in the mountains where cops don't even want to go. The kind of place where you call 911 at night, you won't see them til the morning light.



What!  You call the cops?!  Don't your bikers carry these?  LOL.


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## SungmanituTanka (Nov 1, 2013)

The Tourist said:


> What!  You call the cops?!  Don't your bikers carry these?  LOL.



I believe I may not have clarified adequately. What I said was 'where cops don't want to go' because they don't. The 'where you call 911 at night, you won't see them til the morning light_' _comment was referring to when other people call 911 - and also ambulances won't come_.  _But, no, I don't call 911. lol


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## The Tourist (Nov 1, 2013)

Sorry for the confusion.  Of course, when I first heard the term "shovel ready" I thought, _"Gee, I'm a trending..."_

(BTW, that's another one of those "practical items" I keep in my truck.  An F-150 doesn't get stuck often, but you can get hung up.  You loosen that collar, turn the spade or spike 90 degrees, and you can easily dig under the transmission, 4WD gear case, or pumpkin.  Very light, very handy.)


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## SungmanituTanka (Nov 1, 2013)

The Tourist said:


> Sorry for the confusion.  Of course, when I first heard the term "shovel ready" I thought, _"Gee, I'm a trending..."_
> 
> (BTW, that's another one of those "practical items" I keep in my truck.  An F-150 doesn't get stuck often, but you can get hung up.  You loosen that collar, turn the spade or spike 90 degrees, and you can easily dig under the transmission, 4WD gear case, or pumpkin.  Very light, very handy.)



lol! Yep I gotcha. 

Uh-oh.. I'm a chevy girl... Silverado 1500 4x4 to be exact about it in this instance. 

Oh, and don't be sorry - rule of writing - never assume that the reader is wrong, because most likely you didn't make yourself clear. It was me that made the mistake.


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## Kevin (Nov 1, 2013)

P.M.s dears, P.M.s...no hogging or hi-jacking, please... thank you.


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## BryanJ62 (Nov 1, 2013)

Personally I see any and all hi-jacking on a topic I started as a compliment. More please


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## Brock (Nov 1, 2013)

Remember that every brand of soda is "a coke".


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## SungmanituTanka (Nov 1, 2013)

Brock said:


> Remember that every brand of soda is "a coke".



Where I come from it's all "pop" and "coke" is something else entirely.


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## Brock (Nov 1, 2013)

SungmanituTanka said:


> Where I come from it's all "pop" and "coke" is something else entirely.



Same here in Ohio.


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## BryanJ62 (Nov 1, 2013)

Our here in Western Oregon if you say pop I hand you a can if you say coke I give directions to a neighborhood.


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## SungmanituTanka (Nov 1, 2013)

BryanJ62 said:


> Our here in Western Oregon if you say pop I hand you a can if you say coke I give directions to a neighborhood.



Exactly. Now, where I live now in New York (NOT near the city!) if someone says soda - they get a can. They say coke - they get directions.  They say pop - they get stared at in utter confusion.

Just one of many things that took a whole lot of getting used to...


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## BryanJ62 (Nov 4, 2013)

*[QUOTE=SungmanituTanka;1677556] But the thing is, as crazy as they may seem to 'city' people, all they really want is to be left alone. They want to take care of their family, enjoy a drink on the porch, and not get bitched at for working on their car or bike in the front yard (cause there ain't a thing wrong with that). First and foremost they're just people like everyone else. They just happen to be a little more selective with those that they let in to their circles. More than even that - if you're in with them they'll do anything in the world to help you if you're in need.[/QUOTE]     
*
 I completely get that. Some of the best people I have ever known are those who wish to be left alone. They are the most loyal friends in the world as long as they are respected to live life their way. Somebody raised me right. Respect is one of the best lessons I ever learned.


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