Chivalry

I was raised under the impression that a guy is interested in you if he takes you on dates, calls you, surprises you, uses respectful language around you, etc. I hate to break it to my parents, but I don't know any guys like this. My friend told me the other day, "Keely, you just have to understand guys. They don't go on dates in college and they never call you." That's unbelievable to me.

Southern gentleman? I realize it's hard to be a gentleman in a country where the f word has become so ordinary that it is showing up in magazine articles, texting is quick, easy, and extremely popular, and where the need for men to appear "manly" is so important.

I have never heard my dad cuss around a lady--and he loves to cuss, mind you. He still takes my mom on weekly dates after 26 years of marriage. He does this while still being the toughest man I know. I know my friends will continue to tell me to just cope with the fact that guys are different in this generation and that chivalry is dead. That's just not good enough. Guys, pick up the phone and ask a girl on a date, so I can stop hearing and believing we have seen the end of a true Southern gentleman.

You Might Be a Redneck If...

Check out this link to see a list of 300 reasons why you might be a redneck:
http://www.lilligren.com/Redneck/300_reasons_redneck.htm

Obviously these are exaggerated, but so many of them are not too far from the truth. For some reason I got to thinking about these little jokes and it reminded me of when my cousin, Hannah, made up one of these jokes a few winters ago.

My family was celebrating Christmas at my grandparents' house a few years ago and Hannah happened to notice the decor in the basement. My grandparents had recently bought a new, fancy television, and instead of discarding the old, wooden paneled tv, they simply plopped the new one on top of the old one.

Hannah laughed and said, "You might be a redneck if your tv stand-- is a tv!" This was three years ago, and nothing has changed.

Steel Magnolias

My best friend asked me the other day what was my favorite flower. I told her, "I don't have a favorite flower. If anyone ever brought me flowers, the gesture alone is enough. I don't care what kind they are." Although this was my initial reaction, I actually do have a favorite flower. I have been thinking about it a lot and the answer is so obvious. Magnolia.

For starters, what flower is more symbolic of the South than a magnolia? More than that, I was in the play Steel Magnolias when I was a senior in high school, and it has always been one of my favorite movies of all time (that's saying something because I love movies!). Guess when the movie was first released? 1989. My birth year. I mean, this is MY flower. We even have magnolias on the Christmas tree at my home. How could I have ever said I didn't know what my favorite flower was?

When I researched the magnolia, its petals are abnormally strong to resist being eaten by beetles, and it says its symbolism is recognized for nobility, dignity and perseverance. While these are wonderful traits, the magnolia to me represents the strong, beautiful Southern woman, a true steel magnolia.

Yoo-Hoo

When I went home recently, my dad told me a story about my neighbor that I have to share. Emma, the neighbor, just recently started kindergarten and brought a new friend over to my house from school to say hello. After she and her friend looked around my house, Emma said, "Wow, we sure are thirsty!" My dad said he wasn't sure he had anything they would enjoy. When he went to the refrigerator to look, he noticed a couple of Yoo-Hoos my mom had purchased a little while back. He asked if they would like one and they both said they would love one. After they finished their drinks, Emma's friend shook his head and said, "I never get those. You guys must be rich!!"

Yoo-Hoos: the South's finest dairy, without much dairy at all, beverage! :)

Much, Much Better Than Your Average Joe

I have never experienced losing someone in my family. This changed as of yesterday. My mom's uncle, and in all regards mine as well, passed away. Whenever I think of Joe, I immediately think of laughter. He was always the one telling a joke and if his after-retirement job doesn't express the kind of person he was, nothing will--he was a substitute for kindergarten classes.

All of this has caused me to really think about how people in the South handle death. Nothing can represent the experience, in my mind, more than the movie Elizabethtown. If you haven't seen it, it's a must. The movie shows how all family members congregate in one house with tons of baked dishes and reminisce. That is so accurate. I am traveling home this weekend to personally participate in my own family's version.

I love that in the South, death is more than one hour devoted to a funeral. Here, it's much more. My next couple days will be spent celebrating the life Joe led and the legacy he left through his daughter and grandchildren. If the South does anything right, it's deal with the loss of a good, fellow member. Joe was much better than good, he was a great person and will be greatly missed.