Southern Livin'

[lizzybennet]

I snapped this picture as I was stuck in traffic today. Don't misunderstand me. I love the South. But there are some aspects of it that I don't understand. The need to still fly this flag is one of them. It reminded me of an experience I had a few years ago when I worked at Wal-Mart pharmacy. I was chatting with a Pharmacist about the Civil War. His great, great grandaddy had fought in the war, on the Confederate side. As he was telling me about his ancestor, I was counting pills and sort of just half listening. Suddenly I realized that he was crying. The story he was telling me about his grandaddy was so special to him that it had moved him to tears. This is what he told me: His grandaddy had been held in a Northern prisoner of war camp. When the war was over and he was released, he walked all the way home to Alabama. When he arrived at his home, he didn't go immediately in. He got the attention of one of his slaves and had the slave bring him clean clothes. Then he proceeded to clean himself up before he allowed his family to see him again.

Comments

[-bella-luna.livejournal.com]

I've never understood the flying of that flag either. Yes, it's historical and we can't forget our pasts, but it's not our present.

A girl I worked with at Wal-Mart (the Redneck Home, now there's a politically incorrect statement) was so funny and friendly. Everybody loved her and she would help you out in a heartbeat. We became really, really good friends. So one night at 3 a.m. on our lunch break, she was telling me about these "black folks". And how lazy they all were and how they were all not as smart as the white folks.

It shocked the beans out of me. I mean, we worked side by side with the black people on our shift and we all seemed to have a great time together in mutual respect and friendship. So I said, "Come on, you can't really believe that. You're friends with Tammy and Eddie. Do you think they are lazy?" She said that yes she was friends with them but if you really looked hard they were very lazy and not quite bright.

I think I had to pick myself up off the floor. My heart was so broken.

As for your co-worker and his ancestors...that's another Southern thing. I don't know anything about my family before my grandparents. I know snippets but it is not the custom of my family (who are all from Pennsylvania) to pass down stories of the generations before them - much less a story taht would provoke such emotions of your co-worker. Not that that's bad, but I think it's a very southern thing.

[mysteena.livejournal.com]

I agree that this strong sense of family tradition seems to be unique to the south. I don't see it in Arizona at all. I wish I knew more about my own family history. I mean, I can research the names but I don't know the stories of their lives. I hope one day I can use my skillz (ha!) as a historian to find out more about the lives of my ancestors. I know I have an ancestor who came to Barbados as an endentured servant, but was that by choice? If so, why did he feel the need to take on such a life? Or was he kidnapped and forced into it? I'm envious of people who know these great stories about thier family.

I'm still shocked when I hear people say such things too. It saddens me. It seems hard to believe in this day and age that such attitudes still exsist.

[-bella-luna.livejournal.com]

Barbados wow!

I know about the horse thieves in my dad's side of the family. But that's about it.

[texastea.livejournal.com]

It's about guys who still wear their jeans too tight, and three days in a row, with lineman's boots tied high up on the outside of those jeans. They come home to girl-women who are good-looking in a lazy, dirty way, who scream at the kids and give the baby tea with milk and sugar in a bottle. It's about old drunks who talk about "The Day" as if they had one, when they really did not. It's about pack jackels who will attack young men who do not embrace this mindset - weak masses of individuals who have never attempted to rise above the crowd.

I know some of these and actually love some of these. But I sure as heck am not one of these, and am thankful for that!

There's another face to the south, and I hope I exemplify that more than I do that awful redneckish one. I have relatives who, although they don't fly that flag, have the predjudiced mindset that is the core of it all.

[mysteena.livejournal.com]

I have to say your strong comments surprised me! I was actually hesitant to say anything too judgemental about that rebel flag and all it represents for fear of offending some of my southern friends. I was specifically thinking of you for some reason. Not that I thought you embraced that mindset, but I know many people hold the flag as sacred although they reject the message it can symbolize. It can be more a symbol of heritage than hatred.

You summed it up perfectly, though. There are many unique sides to the south and those of us who grew up here have learned to see them all, and in some ways, accept them all.