Having lived in Boston for going on a year now, it was easy to forget how different the southern lifestyle is. Being home with my family in Alabama for the past 6 weeks has reminded me of some of the perks of living in the south that I didn’t even realize I’d missed.
Aside from the unwavering warm weather, what stands out to me about life below the Mason-Dixon is the people. While I obviously haven’t had much in-person interaction with anyone outside of my immediate family recently, this only makes those chance encounters stand out even more when they do happen.
From the man working the gate worker at my step-dad’s college to the neighbors I pass while walking my dog to our pizza delivery woman, I’m constantly blown away by how friendly everyone I’ve encountered has been. And it’s more than just a kind smile from a stranger – it’s people who genuinely want to hear about you, rather than rush right by.
Take the seventy-year-old woman who lives down the street from my family. When my cat went missing last week, she stopped what she was doing as soon as she realized that we were looking for him and went out of her way to trek through the woods with us in a desperate search. Even under normal circumstances this would be kind, but for someone of an older generation to leave the comfort and safety of their own front porch these days – for people she had never even met – truly speaks volumes.
In a time where we’re practically trained to fear everyone around us, I think there’s something to be said for a little southern hospitality. Maybe we should try to take some of that out of the south when we can finally all see each other again. ☼
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