I am so glad that you seem to take an aversion to sterotypes and moved to the South with an open mind, even though as you say, you were uneducated to the ways of the South. But if I may,
Do you live or spend any considerable amount of time in POLK county itself? I am having a hard time understanding why you don't see the same things I see if we spend time in the same area. I did move to the south with an open mind, it is a different culture than up-north, and the people are different in many ways, I think you need to have lived in both 'cultures' to fully appreciate the differences and be able to laugh at both extremes. I was also able to buy a home for a fraction of the cost than I would have up north, living here has afforded my family many opportunities and the opportunities will continue expanding as the population grows, I do love it here, but it is different and takes some getting used to over time..
1. Contrary to your writings, the sports/hunting section at Wal-Marts do NOT take up half the store and hunting clothing is not high fashion. I have never been hunting in my life, and while it is a big sport in the South, it is in other parts of the USA as well. Ok..you need to spend some time at the Wal Mart in Lake Wales on 60....the hunting section is that big, and often times I am the only person not wearing hunting camoflauge in that store. They enjoy their outdoor sports in that town, that's for sure....but when 16 year old girls are wearing hunting camoflauge to school....it is considered fashionable in that community...any parent will tell you that a teenager will not wear something that is not accepted by his or her peers. I have a 15 year old stepson that has never worn and will not wear sweatpants because they were not accepted up north at his old school, he also flatly refused to wear army camoflauge for years and now wants to pick up some camoflauge-clothes for school.
2. As in other sections of the country, not everyone drives a pickup.
My husband drove a pick-up when we lived up north I have nothing against pick-ups, but there are ALOT of pick-ups here, and many pick-ups where the tires are 4-6 feet tall, driving on I-4 or the Polk Parkway often times looks like a Monster truck rally....the closer to the weekend you get ...the bigger the tires get....if you live in this area you know that it's true, I drive 6 hours a day between Plant City and Lake Wales, it's hard not to notice the number of pick-up trucks. Up north is all mini-vans and SUVs....driven by soccer moms in their tan chinos, button down blouses and 'backpack' purses with smart looking flats...I made fun of them and all of their politically correct PTA glory too.
3. Again, as in other areas of America, not everyone tells you their life history, has relatives with jail or prison records, or is unemployed.
Please don't think I made generalizations about all of Polk county citizens...I'm just telling you the stories I personally have been told, I could also re-tell you countless stories about marriage, divorce, lesbian lovers, floods, work histories, fishing and hunting stories everytime I go out and about I get to hear a story or two or three.....being from up north...you are not used to the 'open-ness' people keep to themselves up north and generally are not as warm and friendly as they are down here. And I would have never even heard a 'prison story' up north..people are too worried about what everyone else thinks up there.
4. I have lived in the South all my life and I have NEVER had a waitress sit at my table at any time.
It happens to me ALL OF THE TIME ....IHOP, Sonny's, etc etc....I would say that I end up taking 3 out of every 5 meals home to eat(cause I can't eat unless everyone is eating including the waitress)...perhaps I have a friendly face ...I don't know what it is...all I know is my FIL won't go out to eat with us anymore because I attract 'talkers' ...I attract the 'talkers' on the space coast too.
Heaven knows the South is not perfect. But neither is any other part of the country. Certainly we have had our history of problems, especially racial ones. But those same problems have existed in all other parts of the country as well. Perhaps not to the degree as has been previously practiced in the South, but it has been there. And even in that same area, the South has made tremendous progress.
I never once made any sort of assertion that the south was full of racists...but if that's what you need to imply to make my original post 'scandalous' go ahead, get your southern self all riled up, but what does bother me is that you probably don't live anywhere close to where I live and have no clue what I see, do or say or hear on a daily basis, but feel the need to bash me about it and call me a liar. Like I mentioned earlier I observe what's common to an area...regardless of where I live.
The point I am trying to make is that each part of the country has its own strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, success and failures. If I were to relocate to another part of the country, I would hope that I would attempt to recognize and accept the area for what it is and not try to play the "put down" game. After all, though the mountains divide and the oceans are wide, it's a small world after all.
I don't think I put anyone down....but if you feel that I did by sharing I have personally experienced time and time again(I've only been here 5 months), that's your right and your opinion.
Hey that might not be a bad idea for a song.
Than again, it might!
