My Southern Experiences - Brian Wier

I have lived in the south for my entire life, and through my family experience, I have come to know several different facets of southern culture. When I think about what the south is, there are two rather distinct images that come to my mind because of my experience with them. There is the image of the old money south. This south, like what we see in Gone With the Wind, is a slave to appearances. This part of southern culture is dying off as the south diversifies, but among the upper class, this culture remains. Values such as hospitality are treasured, and the social scene is overly concerned with status and making showy displays.
The other image I associate with the south is that of Appalachia. The people in this region have generally been termed as rednecks or hillbillies. They live a slow and relaxed life, not worrying about the outside world. Everyone in the community knows one another and depend on one another to get by in the world. It's a relaxed place where everyone looks out for each other and life is generally pleasant. A good representation of this part of the south is The Andy Griffith Show, which focuses on a sheriff in the small town of Mayberry, NC.



Taking the whole of the south into mind, I think of a simpler, slower time when I think of what southern culture is. Sure, the world is fast paced now, but the things in the world that I see as uniquely southern are these notions of small, tight-knit communities built on high moral ground.