I am American by birth, country by choice, and Southern by the grace of God.
My family settled in the South over 150 years ago. So being Southern is in my blood and part of who I am. Being Southern has helped shape me into the person I have become. It has instilled in me the importance of family, the importance of heritage, a sense of national pride, and a sense of belonging.
The South is a place where families live close by. A place
where having family near can be a good thing. A place where having
family near can be a bad thing. A place where family members get mad at each
other, but a place where if someone messes one family member they are
messing with the whole family.
The South is a place steeped in history and a place of
heritage. It has had a checkered past, a past that is
acknowledged and a past that is shameful. A past we are trying to
overcome together as Southerns, not as people of different skin colors.
We still have our issues, but we will work out those issues by ourselves, as
Southerners.
Living in the South isn't just about living in an area of the country. It is a way of life. Life is lived at a slower pace. It is savored and enjoyed. It is a place of hospitality and neighbor helping neighbor. It is about sitting on a front porch on a summer evening sipping sweet tea or lemonade. It is about a cold Cheerwine on a hot summer day. It is about bonfires and roasting marshmallows on a crisp fall night. It is about SEC football, ACC basketball, and NASCAR. It is about Duke's mayonnaise, Red Velvet Cake, and fried chicken. It is about cold watermelon and banana puddin'. It is about visitin' and going to church on Sunday.
I love the South. There is no other place like it on earth. It has its own uniqueness in this big country. A uniqueness that has shaped it into what it was and what it has become. Many try to leave the South, but it has a way of calling its people home. Home is exactly what the South is for me!
Simply Southern and simply proud to be one!
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