Southern Roots

There’s been a little discussion of late as to what makes one southern.  I know, we’ve been down this road before, but some people don’t seem to grasp that concept.  Here is my opinion and those passed down to me by those who would know.  It’s all about your roots. Now as a military brat being born on an Army base in Oklahoma, a sister in California and my brother being the only one actually born in the south(Tennessee), one might say that I myself am not southern.  BUT, both my parents are born and raised in the south with all its values, history and familial roots, and they in turn passed that on to us.  Also whenever my dad was gone for extended periods of times, like to Korea, Viet Nam, Germany, my mother moved us back to Mississippi to live near her parents, and the rest of our extended family consisting of many aunts, uncles, and cousins. Here we rode bikes on dirt roads, played war in the red clay gullies, tossing dirt clods as grenades, swung on the front porch swing sipping ice cold tea or lemonade, tending the garden and savoring that homemade bounty of hard work.  I remember lying under my Gran’s old willow tree in the front yard with my cousin and comparing our lives.  His with friends he had known since grade school, and mine of living all over the world, each wishing we could have a taste of the other’s world if but for a time.  We sat on the back of my pa-pa’s flatbed Studebaker truck and ate watermelon we had helped gather from the truck patch(for ya’ll city folk, that is a huge field full of crops mostly for sale with some left over for the family), talking about going to “First Monday” for the sale and hopefully catch up on family gossip.  We often looked forward to that as we got to see family that we normally wasn’t in our immediate circle and explore the other vendors wares.  This time seemed idyllic for me, as it taught me connection of family, history and the roots that have carried me throughout my  life no matter where I have roamed.  These are the people who helped shape me  and give me insight as to who I am and would become.  I don’t think one can gain that anywhere else.  Being southern is more than just being born in the south.  One has to embrace and be immersed in the culture and history.  The war between the states is still a touchy subject for many(just FYI…it was really about economics..slaves just happened to be ONE of the commodities)…States above the Mason Dixon are often spoken about with a “bless their hearts”, and those such as Maryland and Virginia although under the line are referred to as “yankees” because they fought against “us”.   Texas considers itself southern and some did fight with rebels, but it was too far west to be really considered, and Florida wasn’t even in the picture so we dismiss it as well.   There have been dark moments for the south , but I believe we’ve learned and are learning from them and are working to become better people.   Manners are important down this way.  We’re not big on braggarts, even if they believe in what they know.  Why show someone else up?  It’s just unseemly.  One does NOT have to know something about EVERYTHING.  And truthfully, we kind of look at you a little hard when you post/speak on everyfuckingthing.  It’s considered polite in most circles to introduce yourself to someone before jumping right in their face.  I have control issues, so to me this is extremely rude..can also be hazardous to your health as well.  Yeah, these southern days of hot humid days, sweltering nights, remind me of simpler times, and they bring back good memories.  some that make me shake my head, others make me smile, but they have taught me well of who I am and what I will not accept in my world.   It’s all in the roots.