North vs. South - is there still a "conflict" there?

[DarthKTrava]

And don't forget that, here in the south, should it snow (or snow is even HINTED in the forecast), run out to your local store and buy bread and milk before it snows!

Never have grasped the concept of that.... I only get bread and milk if I'm out. Not cuz it's gonna snow.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Coming out of the woodwork for a post here....

Me: Born and raised in the Mid-South
My family never hunted...
Never fished...
Never have drank a beer in my life.
Never attended a Baptist church
etc.... etc.... etc....
(Now, of course, I love me some good southern food and sweet tea!!!!!)

My husband: What many would call a 'Yankee' though he is more from the mid-west not quite the NorthEast.
His family Hunted
His family fished.
My husband is not a beer drinker - but family members are.
His parents listened to country music - Back in the days!!! Not the new pop-country stuff.
Attended and were baptized in a Baptist Missionary church.

NEVER, NEVER, EVER, go by stereotypes!!!!

Are there Dukes of Hazard type beer drinking, gun totin', 'the south will rise again' types of rednecks???? Yes, you can and might find them if you are to go to smaller more isolated areas.... Is that the norm in most cities in the mid-south.... NOPE!!!!!

To be honest, if I risk bringing up a touchy subject... Especially in the deep south, I think the issues are not so much a conflict between northerners and southerners... But, entrenched tensions between classes and the races.

And, yes, from what I hear (from several people with true first-hand experience) Southern LA really IS a different animal.

I really couldn't see encouraging anyone to move there...
And, any possible North-vs-South issues would not, in any way, have anything to do with the reasons why.

Just my two cents.....

 

[MrsPete]

Okay where are you finding this one? The only time my DH can find it is when we go back home to TN.

It was started by the BBQ joints mid-state. They made it homemade: A little cherry soda or marichino cherry juice and two lemon wedges . . . topped off with Sundrop.

It was so popular that Sundrop started bottling it. Their plant is mid-state in Concord, NC. It's in all the grocery stores. I never have trouble finding it no matter where we are in NC (not that I've done an exhaustive search).

 

[marthachick]

Sundrop is best described as RC's version of Mellow Yellow and Cheerwine would be best described at RC's Version of Dr. Pepper. Not exactly the same taste, but close.

Sundrop is a little more "lemony" than Mello Yello and has more 'bite' to it. Cheerwine is more cherry and doesn't have the burn of Dr. Pepper. Kind of hard to describe but both are great. They call me the Diet Sundrop Queen here at work!

 

[Buckalew11]

As a transplant from NJ to TN, I think a lot has to do with YOUR attitude. As soon as a person from the north opens their mouth one knows, "they're not from around here". It is what comes out of that mouth that'll make or break you, imo.

If you say things like how different it is, people in the south can't drive, can't talk, can't cook etc. like it is up North then you'll probably be told to head north and don't let the doorknob hit you in the behind on the way out.

If you are open to new things and different ways of doing same things, I think you'll be accepted soon enough. I think it is important to never, ever speak ill of someone in small town southern USA because people are related to one another and you might have just insulted her aunt. lol

If you are "in your face" about things of the north, you'll get it in return.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

As a transplant from NJ to TN, I think a lot has to do with YOUR attitude. As soon as a person from the north opens their mouth one knows, "they're not from around here". It is what comes out of that mouth that'll make or break you, imo.

If you say things like how different it is, people in the south can't drive, can't talk, can't cook etc. like it is up North then you'll probably be told to head north and don't let the doorknob hit you in the behind on the way out.

If you are open to new things and different ways of doing same things, I think you'll be accepted soon enough. I think it is important to never, ever speak ill of someone in small town southern USA because people are related to one another and you might have just insulted her aunt. lol

If you are "in your face" about things of the north, you'll get it in return.

Exactly! As a Bama boy who has lived in NY and NJ for the last 20 years, I hear "Yankee" a lot when I go back down (playfully) - but how a person is accepted really depends on the person's attitude.

People want to like you. They will like you unless you give them a reason not to...

 

[donaldduck352]

How about RC cola and Moon Pies.

That was A treat and A half when I was a kid!!

 

[christineann]

FWIW, I was born and raised in the South. I drink unsweetened tea (can't stand the sweet stuff) and prefer Diet Pepsi over Diet Coke, especially if it's on sale. No one cares what I drink or what anyone else does.

I did get cornered at a cocktail party one evening by two transplanted New Yorkers who were ragging on Southerners for saying "hi" and "have a good day" if they weren't personal friends. That's Southern manners, but I guess some folks take offense I would rather err on the side of friendliness.

 

[luvsJack]

Having lived my whole life in the south I admit I am just a little partial to the south. I was born and raised in south Mississippi and honestly can't think of anywhere else I would rather live. We have some of the kindest, most generous people in the world. One stat I am particularly proud of is that Mississippi gives more money percentage wise to charity than any other state. Some other things that are particularly nice are our music (Elvis, Jimmy Buffett, Faith Hill, BB King, 3 Doors Down), our writers (John Grisham, Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, Nevada Barr, Shelby Foote, Eudora Welty) and don't forget some pretty good athletes come from Mississippi (Jerry Rice, Brett Favre, Steve McNair, Walter Payton, The Manning Boys) and of course there are others (Oprah, Morgan Freeman, Jim Henson) And also we were the first to have a heart transplant, kidney transplant and lung transplant. When people question moving to the south, that there is nothing of any redeeming value here, tell them about this. And this is just one of the southern states.

hi neighbor. Reading your post made me proud to be a Mississipian all over again!!!!

I don't know where people have moved to where southerners made fun of them or made them feel unwelcome because that is sooooo UN-southern like. True southerners are taught to always make someone feel welcome and at home and to NEVER EVER make fun of anyone.

As for the "bless your heart" everyone keeps talking about. My grandmother had a way of using it that really did make everything seem like a compliment. Its not that she was putting anyone down or being mean, but she would put them in their place or tell them what they needed to do without ever getting an argument. She and my grandpa owned a small grocery store on a well traveled highway. Travelers were a big part of their business. One day she was coming out of the store and saw someone cleaning the trash out of their car into the parking lot! She ran to the car and started picking up all their trash and throwing it back in the car saying, "well, bless your hearts, everything just came falling out didn't it?"

 

[EeyoreEma]

I think your only problem would come from if you were a Gator fan and moved into Bulldog territory! Seriously, though, I would think it was fine. I've lived in the south all my life and never seen anyone not accepted because they were from up north.

 

[AshleyW]

hi neighbor. Reading your post made me proud to be a Mississipian all over again!!!!

I don't know where people have moved to where southerners made fun of them or made them feel unwelcome because that is sooooo UN-southern like. True southerners are taught to always make someone feel welcome and at home and to NEVER EVER make fun of anyone.

As for the "bless your heart" everyone keeps talking about. My grandmother had a way of using it that really did make everything seem like a compliment. Its not that she was putting anyone down or being mean, but she would put them in their place or tell them what they needed to do without ever getting an argument. She and my grandpa owned a small grocery store on a well traveled highway. Travelers were a big part of their business. One day she was coming out of the store and saw someone cleaning the trash out of their car into the parking lot! She ran to the car and started picking up all their trash and throwing it back in the car saying, "well, bless your hearts, everything just came falling out didn't it?"

All of DFi's family lives in Mississippi, and we're down there at least once a year (usually twice) to visit. I've always felt so welcome - not just by his family, but from other people in town, too. Usually the only comment I hear about being from the north is when DFi's grandma harps at me while we're eating breakfast - "Sweetie, if you're gonna marry a southern boy, you better come eat some more grits and learn to love it!"

 

[Soarin08]

All of DFi's family lives in Mississippi, and we're down there at least once a year (usually twice) to visit. I've always felt so welcome - not just by his family, but from other people in town, too. Usually the only comment I hear about being from the north is when DFi's grandma harps at me while we're eating breakfast - "Sweetie, if you're gonna marry a southern boy, you better come eat some more grits and learn to love it!"

Really?? Where in MS? I'm the Laurel area (at least, that's where I work and I like it better than where I live!).

 

[luvsJack]

Really?? Where in MS? I'm the Laurel area (at least, that's where I work and I like it better than where I live!).

We love coming to Laurel for the fair and the Christmas parade! For some reason we have always enjoyed the Laurel parade more than ours and dd looks forward to the fair every year; its a tradition in our family.

 

[minkydog]

As for the "bless your heart" everyone keeps talking about. My grandmother had a way of using it that really did make everything seem like a compliment. Its not that she was putting anyone down or being mean, but she would put them in their place or tell them what they needed to do without ever getting an argument. She and my grandpa owned a small grocery store on a well traveled highway. Travelers were a big part of their business. One day she was coming out of the store and saw someone cleaning the trash out of their car into the parking lot! She ran to the car and started picking up all their trash and throwing it back in the car saying, "well, bless your hearts, everything just came falling out didn't it?"

I just love your grandma!

 

[AshleyW]

Really?? Where in MS? I'm the Laurel area (at least, that's where I work and I like it better than where I live!).

Yep! They're all a bit north of you. DFi grew up in Columbus and West Point, his parents moved up here when he was about 10. The rest of his family lives in the Eupora/Maben/Mathiston area, about 30 minutes east of Starkville.

 

[donaldduck352]

You know whats really missing in the south-just as much in the north-is kids having respect when they talk too elders.When I was growing up it was sir and mam.Nowadays it's what.Thats what I hear from all kids anymore no matter where I'm at.

I was raised saying yes sir or no sir and vice versa to women folk.This is A long time forgotten tradition everywhere.

I till this day say it,but that is the way I was raised in the south-it's called RESPECT!!!!

 

[ladycollector]

You know whats really missing in the south-just as much in the north-is kids having respect when they talk too elders.When I was growing up it was sir and mam.Nowadays it's what.Thats what I hear from all kids anymore no matter where I'm at.

I was raised saying yes sir or no sir and vice versa to women folk.This is A long time forgotten tradition everywhere.

I till this day say it,but that is the way I was raised in the south-it's called RESPECT!!!!

I was raised to say it too. It only took a couple times of getting my head bitten off for saying ma'am (spelling?) that I stopped that. I will still say sir sometimes if I'm at an interview or something.

 

[laurie31]

You know whats really missing in the south-just as much in the north-is kids having respect when they talk too elders.When I was growing up it was sir and mam.Nowadays it's what.Thats what I hear from all kids anymore no matter where I'm at.

I was raised saying yes sir or no sir and vice versa to women folk.This is A long time forgotten tradition everywhere.

I till this day say it,but that is the way I was raised in the south-it's called RESPECT!!!!

Fear not - you just haven't been in the right places. My kids say "sir" and "ma'am" and so do all their friends.

I have selective hearing; I can't hear "What?" LOL I don't like it even from adults. Say "excuse me?" or "pardon?" for pete's sake!

 

[luvsJack]

Fear not - you just haven't been in the right places. My kids say "sir" and "ma'am" and so do all their friends.

I have selective hearing; I can't hear "What?" LOL I don't like it even from adults. Say "excuse me?" or "pardon?" for pete's sake!

My kids have always been taught to say sir and ma'am too and at dd's school it is required that they say it.

 

[luvsJack]

I just love your grandma!

She was a hoot and was always doing stuff like that--always with the required "bless your heart". We always call her a "true southern belle".