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mmm, the south.

it is the southern part of me which is most quintessentially and fiercely alive.
pat conroy

sometimes, living in maryland, i really miss the south. i know, i know. technically, maryland is a southern state. but it's not. it's not southern in the way georgia (or the carolinas, alabama, louisiana, or tennessee for that matter) is southern.
the accents. the courtesy towards everyone -- even strangers. the feeling of community simply because you live near someone. understanding college football. pulling over when a funeral is coming by. having a chik-fil-a within a reasonable distance (which, in actuality, i do. but it seems so far away and it's like we have to make special trips there). the importance of family and tradition.
i could go on.
but.
then i realize that which i miss the most (outside of family and friends who are still there, because those things are irreplaceable) i have.
i have a community around me that has become like extended family. i live in neighborhoods that do things together, where people do get to know their neighbors and drop by for a chat and help each other out.
i still have an accent, which admittedly gets a lot stronger when i spend time with other who do as well.
the courtesy and outlook on life i find so common and amazing in the south is inside me. it's part of who i am.

i miss the south. and as long as i'm away from it, i will miss it.
but i have my south with me. inside me. around me, even if it looks somewhat different.
and God has blessed me tremendously.

Comments

Jill said…
I think you speak for many of us who are now your northern, but still southern, neighbors! Well said. :)
September 21, 2009 at 9:49 AM
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