What it means to be from the South.

I have always heard people makin fun of the south, I never unstood it as a child. But I adapted, kids in Florida made fun of my accent I lost it. Everyone tells me that Y'all isn't a word, I swear it is. But it is in the dictionary, see: y'all. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved July 12, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/y Anyway I wanted to clear up some misconceptions about the south and what it means to be from this region. Just so you know where I am comin from, let me explain my family a little. My Dad is from Cairo, Egypt and my Mom is from Vicksburg Mississippi. I was born in Galveston, Texas. I have three sisters and a brother. My parents are now divorced. My mom lives in Georgia and my dad lives here in Florida. Okay so we have lived in Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida. Oh and brief stint in Illinois. So now that you have my background I can tell you what being southern means. It means knowin who your family is and being kin to half the town you live, in some distant relation. It means always havin sweet tea on hand no matter what day of the week it is. It means that after church on Sunday, somebody is comin over or you and your family are going to someone's house. It means singing Proud to be an American on the Fourth of July at the top of your lungs during the fireworks show. It means eating the freshest tomatoes from your grandpa's garden you have ever tasted. It means going on the four wheeler for hours with all your cousins. It means family reunions every summer. It means listening to your Aunt's and Uncles stories about growin up in the country. It means sayin yes mam and yes sir to everybody. It means takin walks through pasture's as your grandma points out flowers and birds. It means slip-n-slides or a huge tarp and some dish soap. It means watermelon every summer. It means grandma's biscuits. This is merely scratching the surface of what it means to be from the south. I know the South has a horrible past, and some people hold onto to that hatred. But where I am from and how I was raised that wasn't an option. Everybody is equal and deserves a chance. There is a lot of ugliness out there everywhere, but to me that means we just have to embrace the beauty that much more. Even looking in the smallest most obscure places to find it. If you want to add any thing to my list, Please leave a comment. God Bless Y'all!!