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The south has become my home and honestly, I never tire of traveling throughout it and discovering all the beauty this part of the country has to offer. This is how I describe my adopted home.
Long roads through land unspoiled by concrete or heavy traffic still exists here. In the south, Wisteria hangs from arched branches along the roadways, cicadas sing loudly on humid summer nights. Guitar music and laughter rings under the canopy of dry lightening on summer nights. You can purchase farm fresh produce at the stand where dirt roads intersect. And don’t be surprised when neighbors smile and wave from rockers on front porches.
I can’t help but wonder what its like to grow up in those large antebellum homes in the middle of many acres, surrounded by pastures in which horses graze and farmland is plowed by a farmer on a John Deere tractor. I bet it’s great.
I love this saying on a plaque I placed in my dining room.
The South; where tea is sweet and accents are sweeter; summer starts in April; front porches are wide and words are long; macaroni and cheese is a vegetable; pecan pie is a staple; Y’all is the only proper pronoun; chicken is fried and biscuits come with gravy; everything is darling and someone is always getting their heart blessed.
If you haven’t come yet, I welcome y’all to come and please sit a spell.
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by Hildie McQueen
Hi Hildie,
My parents lived in the South (really the Southeast for us Southwesterners) for a bit. When I visited them and went out and about, I’d always strike up these great conversations. Not just “neighbors smile and wave,” I found a warmth and graciousness toward strangers, too.
I would love to visit, but I think I will have to satisfy myself with reading about it.
Hildie,
I love your writing. It’s really beautiful. I was born in Miami, which isn’t exactly the South, except geographically. I think it would be nice to live in a small Southern town where the pace isn’t so frenetic. I do love the wisteria and the dogwoods and fried chicken and I now say y’all since I’ve lived here forty years. But I’ve never had a front porch. I would love that.
I agree with Marilyn, Hildie. Your writing is lovely. And I agree about the south, though I’m a transplanted Yankee. Love the picture and the saying on your plaque. “Summer starts in April.” Yeah, I can’t wait. It’s been a Chicago-like winter.
Loved the article. Since my first 11 years were in N.C. before moving to California until 8 years ago, I knew about “the South” before I moved to Georgia. I absolutely love it here….well, except for one thing. According to something I read a few years ago…on the west coast the ratio of harmless snakes to “Bad” ones is 80% harmless to 20% “bad”. On the east coast, it’s reversed.
When we moved here 8 years ago, I promised to leave them alone if they’d leave me alone and, so far, we’re doing great!
What a great summary of the South, Hildie! My grands will be thrilled to hear that mac & cheese is actually a vegetable, LOL, but its so true
Hmmm, maybe it should be the state vegetable 
It’s kind of ironic that Atlanta is the one place I told my ex I never wanted to live so of course that’s exactly where his job brought us. Even when we got divorced it wasn’t easy to leave because of the kids. But now I’m so glad we stayed. I do love living in the south! Thank you for your beautiful post!
The south definitely has a look and feel all of its own.
I’m so a southerner through and through. Even if I want to be something else my accent would give me away.
Hildie-
A great description of the South. I’m a transplanted Northern. I love the wide open spaces,the leisurely pace and the short winters of the South. I never pictured myself living here, but now, I wouldn’t be anywhere else.
I need my own personal editor, god darn it!
I’m a transplanted Northerner.
Hildie, you described the south wonderfully. Born and grew up in Georgia, and I’ve never really wanted to live anywhere else (well, I did get a wild notion about Alaska once, but that’s another story). I like middle Georgia. A few hours north and I’m in the mountains and a few south, it’s the ocean. Love it.
I’m a native Texas, have lived all over, but the South is in my blood. I always feel more at home when making my home in the southern states.
Thank you for your comments everyone. I was out and about all day and finally got a chance to stop by. And guess what Sandy, I’ve only seen a couple snakes, both were more afraid of me than the other way around!