Southern Hospitality

[OneAccord]

Southern Hospitality. I don't even know what that is...

Lets see... here in our part of Alabama, we don't lock our doors because a neighbor might need to borrow something when we're not home.

The keys to the cars (and trucks) are over the visor or under the mat for the same reason.

When we eat, everyone eats. We make every and any excuse to have a dinner or a "gatherin". Everyone eats. We had a dinner at the lake last year and at a table close by was a family who had just brought their kids to play in the playground. They had no food with them so we invited them to join us. When they wouldn't, we just took the food to them. The ate and we were rewarded with good friends. We have yard parties. Someone gets sick or just gets behind on yard work, we load up the mower and go. We don't ask if they need help- we can see that they do... we just do it.

Since I was raised in Indiana, I drink hot tea on occasion. I get some strange looks. In restaurants here, the usually don't ask what you want to drink. "Sweet" tea (people here don't know what iced tea is), is brought automatically. Is just as natural as ketchup on your pinto beans (Huh, you do put ketchup on your Pinto Beans don't ya?)

We "throw up our hand" (you don't wave in the south, you "throw up your hand") at every car you meet on the road (Admittedly, this is becoming more rare, I guess 'cause Yankees are moving south). To forget to "throw up the hand" is considered rude.

Two things are ALWAYS said when parting company:
"Y'all come see us" and "If you needs us, call us". If only one phrase is spoken "Y'all come see us", that means you don't really care for the person your speaking to (and don't really mean it). If you use both phrases, that means you are sincere, really like the person you are speaking to, and you really mean what you are sayin'.

So, to Bro. Ron and anyone other Yankees who want to venture south,

Y'all come see us"

and

"If you need us, call us"!