Ain't No Place Like The South

Some friends of ours traveled out west and stopped to eat lunch.  They related how every time they spoke the waitress would grin.  When she came back to the table to bring their drinks she brought another waitress with her and they would both grin whenever our friends spoke in their slow, southern, Alabama drawl.  They knew the servers were making fun of their southern accent, but as any true southerner knows, it happens.

My family experienced the same response when we traveled to Philadelphia one summer.  We were city center and decided to eat at this rather posh restaurant.  By that I mean it wasn't your local Bar B Q dig that's so familiar in the south.  We noticed a group of waiters and waitresses standing in a little huddle close enough to our table so they could hear us speak and every time we did, that familiar grin crossed their lips. 

One of my favorite Jerry Seinfeld episodes is the one about the Soup Czar.  I like it because I can totally relate to the frustration of trying to order, but can't spit it out fast enough.  Again, in Philadelphia, my daughter and I stepped into a sidewalk cafe to order a sandwich.  I told her to order because she speaks fast.  She speaks fast, but with a southern accent.  She placed our order and I was relieved that it went down so well, until we turned to walk out the door.  The cook from the kitchen hollered out, "Hey, are you guys from south Philly?"  We didn't know if he was being serious or playing us.  I think it was the latter.

I'd always heard of Southern hospitality, but didn't think it really existed until our trip to Philadelphia, Boston, and Richmond.  Easterners don't make eye contact when meeting someone on the street.  In the south, you not only make eye contact, you give them a big hello.  Never mind that you've never met the person before.  Your just being polite.  Another thing I noticed were people in the northeast wear dark colored clothing, like black, browns, greys, navy blues.  Southerners wear bright, pops of color, like magenta, orange, reds, pinks.  When a server takes your order in the northeast they just take your order.  I mean that's what their getting paid for, but in the South the server comes to your table wearing a huge smile and they introduce themselves.  "Hi, I'm Mary Beth, I'll be your server today!  Now, what can I get you?"  They don't seem to be in any hurry and they may even start a conversation with you at the table, like asking, " what part of Alabama are ya'll from.  Oh, my aunt lives there!" 

I realized after traveling to the northeast that Southern hospitality is alive and well.  I enjoyed our visit to all the historic places and eating at different restaurants, but to be honest I couldn't wait to get back down below that Mason-Dixon line and order me up a plate of that good 'ole Bar B Q we all love so well (there's 2 in our small town) by a waitress named, Lily Beth, Mary Ann, or Jimmie Sue.

Yep, there ain't no place like the south and we like it that way down here in the heart of Dixie.