From Florida oranges and Georgia peaches to … the Big Apple?

They say “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” but there seems to be no remedy for these homesick blues. As you may or may not remember from previous posts, I’ve been a lucky member of the South since I was born. I was raised in the panhandle of Florida (please refer to “Miss Nikki May” in the column to your right for further details), moved to Nashville for an internship with CMT (Country Music Television), and finally settled a year and a half ago in Auburn, Alabama for graduate school. So as you may have guessed, this recent move to New York City for my graduate internship with Fox News Channel has come as quite the culture shock.

As a native of the beautiful Gulf Coast, I’ve always taken salty summer breezes and freshly boiled peanuts for granted … until now. Sure, the hair frizzing Florida humidity and squishy textured peanut may not sound like much to a stranger of the South, but I’ve come to really fancy the southern way of life. In fact, as a recent (and temporary) New Yorker, I’ve fallen in love with the South all over again. Indeed, the old saying, “distance makes the heart grow fonder” has never been so true.  However, while falling head over heels for the land of Dixie, I’ve found that I’ve acquired an indescribable appreciation for the small details which set the South apart from any other place a person may call home. Yet, above all, there’s one thing I surely miss the most. Characterized by the seldom use of “ma’am,” “sir,” “please,” and “my pleasure,” southern hospitality is certainly the southern element which tugs most at my heart strings. However, according to Orlando Sentinel’s recent ranking of the nation’s rudest cities, I have every reason to miss that southern hospitality – or any hospitality at all for that matter. In fact, New York City currently sits comfortably as the second rudest city in the nation, trailing one spot behind Los Angeles. Congratulations, New York City. Your cold and bitter ways have put you in the spotlight yet again (not that you’re not already used to that). Perhaps you could learn a thing or two from Wikipedia’s amicable interpretation of southern hospitality:

“Conversation flows cheeringly, for the southern gentleman has a particular tact in making a guest happy. After dinner you are urged to pass the afternoon and night, and if you are a gentleman in manners and information, your host will be in reality highly gratified by your so doing. Such is the character of southern hospitality.”

Now of course every place has “that person” which seems to defy the odds, but for the most part, the South is pretty darn hospitable. Sure, I may be a bit sweet on my homeland, but I speak from experience. Down home, it’s perfectly acceptable to become best friends with a person you just recently called a stranger. Heck, before you know it, you’ll be swapping family photos and jotting down phone numbers- all because you passed each other on the street. And just wait until you stumble across a blood thirsty crowd of SEC college football fans. You’ll suddenly find yourself submerged in a sea of best friends united for one reason – the shared love of first downs, touchdowns, field goals, fair catches, and formations.

However, southern hospitality extends far beyond the cries of the college football stadium. In fact, www.eSSORTMENT.com kindly describes a few of the infamous and cordial habits which deem southerners hospitable:

First, there’s “the wave.” If you haven’t experienced the South before, you may feel as though you’re in the middle of a Miss America pageant. Yes, we wave that much. If you pass us on the street, on a back country road, or on your favorite route through the local country store, you can bet you’re going to be greeted with a wave. That’s just the way people down South like to say hello or acknowledge your existence. And yes, we’re not afraid to make eye contact.

Next is a little bit of friendly small talk. The rumors are true. We love to talk, chat, gossip, whatever you want to call it. In fact, if you’re planning any sort of public outing, you should probably designate a solid thirty minutes of your schedule for chatting. We want to know how your mama is, what your daddy’s been up to, how the boys are, what the girls have gotten into, and how the cousins are doing. If you’re lucky, we’ll even ask how the ol’ mutt’s doing.

But keep in mind that we have our own distinct way of communication. And yes, y’all and a’int are considered part of our vocabulary. Although you won’t catch a northerner uttering the likes of either word, southerners find no shame in their game. And in case you didn’t know, “y’all” refers to you all, everyone, every one of you, or the likes of an entire group. We all know what “a’int” means. And to tell you the truth, they sure sound good with a sly southern drawl.

Likewise, there are certain phrases and sayings that roll off the tongue a little sweeter when accompanied with a good dose of southern hospitality. I don’t care who you are, or where you’re from, it doesn’t get much sweeter than “bless your heart!”

Although I could happily continue for pages, I think you get the point. There’s just a simple sweetness found in the South that I have yet to find elsewhere. And to be quite frank, I think a few places could learn a lesson or two. Who knows, maybe I can sweeten this Big Apple up just a bit. After all, there’s nothing a little southern hospitality can’t fix.

xoxo, Nikki May

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