WHERE IS THE SOUTH?

I was born in Southern California. At the age of about four, we moved to Fort Worth, Texas. Eighteen months later, we moved to Huntsville, Alabama. Just before my eighth birthday, we were living in Central Florida, in the Cape Canaveral area. This was suppose to be a temporary move, but 44 years later, my family is still there. I am really glad I was able to live in that area. It was fun and very different. My dad worked for NASA, and at the time the space program was in full swing. I had the opportunity to see many rocket launches, one of which was Apollo 11; carrying the first man to step foot on the moon.

In addition to the space program, I was able to live near the ocean. I love to go to the beach, and spent many a day there. It has become my favorite place to be.

Jetty Park, Cape Canaveral, FL

About a year or so after I graduated from high school, I found myself going to school in Idaho. Boy what a culture shock! I did grow to enjoy it. I was able to go snow skiing and snowmobiling, and build my first snowman; not to mention, I was able to see snow fall (like out of the sky) for the first time (at age 19!). What a beautiful experience!

After graduating from the two year college, I went to Provo, Utah and attended Brigham Young University. After a few years down there, I married my husband who was also attending BYU. A year after our marriage, we decided to relocate to Nashville, Tennessee (where he was born and raised). Our first two children were born there, and after Bill graduated, we moved to Alabama. After three years, it was off to Wilmington, NC (another one of my favorite places!!!), where our next two children were born. After five years of wonderful Wilmington, we moved to Southern Arkansas where we lived for three years. Then it was off to the cold north; Muncie, Indiana where we spent the next five plus years. Currently, we live in Louisiana. We have been here for 4 1/2 years. As many of you know we are soon headed to Kentucky. 


As you can see most of my life has been spent in the South; Texas, Alabama (twice), Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, Arkansas and Louisiana. Funny thing is, since we have lived in Louisiana, most of the people here do not consider me Southern. You see, they don't consider any of those states, except Alabama and Louisiana Southern. I just ran into that again today. 


I was told Tennessee is more "Hillbilly." I told her that the Tennessee Hillbillies weren't much different than the Swamp people in Southern Louisiana. She laughed and said, "Oh yes they are!" And this is an educated person.

Fall Creek Fall, TN

My comment to her was this:
"There is this bubble. It takes in all of Louisiana, Southern Arkansas, Southwest Mississippi, and a smiggin of Texas; the part that boarders Louisiana. It's like it's own little 'country.' It's more Cajun (some Southerners have told me they don't really consider Louisiana the true South). You go more toward East Mississippi, and it's entirely different. You don't have all the fleur de lis, delicious Cajun food, and Mardi Gras stuff. It's more pure Southern. There's nothing wrong with that; in fact, it's kinda neat. Something else; I've even been told (by several people) that North Carolina was not Southern because they were in the "NORTH." So I guess that makes South Dakota Southern? mmmm I don't think so. Funny how peoples minds work.

I've also been told that because Louisiana has plantations, that makes it the South. I try to explain that there are plantations all over, not just Louisiana. How about the Litchfield Plantation in Pawley's Island, South Carolina? Oh, well, I guess that is "Southern" since it is in SOUTH Carolina. Well, then, how about the Belle Meade Plantation in Nashville, Tennessee? Have you heard of the Gamble Plantation in Ellenton, Florida? There are quite a few Antebellum Plantation homes that dot the South. Sadly, many were destroyed during the Civil War. Many of these majestic Antebellum homes still exist today in the Natchez, Mississippi area. I've been there and it is a beautiful place, rich in history.

Natchez, MS 3/25/08 Stanton Hall 1857

I would like to say, even though I was born in California and lived there for the first four years of my life, and spend five years in Indiana, that does not make me a Northerner. I have spent most of my 52 years in the South, and, therefore, I am a Southern girl! Oh, and by the way, my family is originally from Southern Colorado. For those of you who think Colorado is also a Northern state, well, actually, it is considered Western.

Wet Mountains, West Cliff, CO

So, I guess I'm South-Western? Naaaa...Southern with Western roots.