In light of a brief DP discussion on the southern way of life, I have found myself thinking deeply on it. There is the general misconception that southerners are usually less intelligent and lazier than the rest of America. I find this to be quite disrespectful, being from the south and living here for all of my still short life. What is it about the south that makes people think that we're dumb? Is it that our advance into the technological world has been slower? Is it that the social transformation into the new world was not only slow but still happening?
Southerners live at a slower pace, that is undeniable. Nothin' beats sitiin' out on a front porch swing with your girl, sippin' sweet tea, and watching the stars chase the sun away; or wasting a day away on a river bed or lakeside. There is nothin' wrong with taking a break to take a cruise down an old back road just letting the wind blow the worries out of your mind. I personally think that everybody ought to live in a slower pace. Most people miss the beauty of life by chasing what they perceive as beauty. The world is a beautiful place, no matter how ugly its inhabitants can be. Even though southerners know how to tip back and relax, we aren't lazy people. People around here work hard. The only difference is that our jobs are not our lives. My question to the rest of the US: Why do you live so fast? Why do you load your schedules to the hour? Is that what really makes you happy? Why is it always that you have to be somewhere? I guarantee that, if you were to erase your schedule for a week, you'd be happier at the end than at the beginning. Life is not meant to be rushed through. We have so little time on this earth so that we learn to appreciate what we have.
I am also uncertain as to why people question our intelligence. Is it our accent? I actually have a very plausible theory as to why we have an accent (I'll close with that). The people of the south are just as intelligent as any other in the US. A southern farmer may be less educated than an accountant from New York, but I can guarantee that the farmer is far from dumb. People see farmers and think stupid. Do you know how precise farm work must be if you want to make a living of it? My grandparent's lived in a trailer on this one farm where the owners literally had the job to a science. Guess what, they were also the most successful in the area. They were very intelligent people and I highly doubt they had a high end education.
My theory on the accent: It is no secret that southerners like tobacco, it was our livelyhood until we found white gold. If you have ever had loose tobacco in your mouth, you know that it unpacks easily when you talk. Therefore, southerners began talking with one side of their mouth remaining as closed as they can keep it. Try it, just keep one side pinched down and talk. You will have somewhat of a southern accent no matter where you're from.
In conclusion, Southerners are neither lazy nor stupid. We work hard and live slower than you. We are also a happy people. I wouldn't want to live anywhere esle but the south.
Southerners live at a slower pace, that is undeniable. Nothin' beats sitiin' out on a front porch swing with your girl, sippin' sweet tea, and watching the stars chase the sun away; or wasting a day away on a river bed or lakeside. There is nothin' wrong with taking a break to take a cruise down an old back road just letting the wind blow the worries out of your mind. I personally think that everybody ought to live in a slower pace. Most people miss the beauty of life by chasing what they perceive as beauty. The world is a beautiful place, no matter how ugly its inhabitants can be. Even though southerners know how to tip back and relax, we aren't lazy people. People around here work hard. The only difference is that our jobs are not our lives. My question to the rest of the US: Why do you live so fast? Why do you load your schedules to the hour? Is that what really makes you happy? Why is it always that you have to be somewhere? I guarantee that, if you were to erase your schedule for a week, you'd be happier at the end than at the beginning. Life is not meant to be rushed through. We have so little time on this earth so that we learn to appreciate what we have.
I am also uncertain as to why people question our intelligence. Is it our accent? I actually have a very plausible theory as to why we have an accent (I'll close with that). The people of the south are just as intelligent as any other in the US. A southern farmer may be less educated than an accountant from New York, but I can guarantee that the farmer is far from dumb. People see farmers and think stupid. Do you know how precise farm work must be if you want to make a living of it? My grandparent's lived in a trailer on this one farm where the owners literally had the job to a science. Guess what, they were also the most successful in the area. They were very intelligent people and I highly doubt they had a high end education.
My theory on the accent: It is no secret that southerners like tobacco, it was our livelyhood until we found white gold. If you have ever had loose tobacco in your mouth, you know that it unpacks easily when you talk. Therefore, southerners began talking with one side of their mouth remaining as closed as they can keep it. Try it, just keep one side pinched down and talk. You will have somewhat of a southern accent no matter where you're from.
In conclusion, Southerners are neither lazy nor stupid. We work hard and live slower than you. We are also a happy people. I wouldn't want to live anywhere esle but the south.