Whenever I spend time in the South I am struck by Southern manners.  It is so gracious.  And it is practiced by almost everyone.  I know to some it is a stereotype.  But, to me, it is real.

I just spent four days in Mississippi, but I flew in and out of New Orleans.  Once again, I experienced real Southern manners.  What I really want to say is that I was treated to real Southern manners.

You might ask, what does that look like.

• It always starts with a friendly and polite greeting.

• Then that is followed shortly by addressing me as “Sir”. Or, if I was a woman, it would be “Mam”.  I know that I was brought up to address anyone older than I am as Sir or Mam, until such time as the older person asked me to call them something else.
• Then they take the time to look at you. they stop what they are doing and focus on you.  they let life slow down for a minute or two while they greet you.
• That is followed by “how may I help you.”

• At the end of the conversation there is always more than a routine goodbye. There is “may God be with you,” or “peace be with you,” or “bless your heart”.
• Or “you are more than welcome, sir” or “y’all come back any time”

I am not sure why southern kindness and graciousness has made such an impression on me.

It might be because I have a little of the south in my background.  Not much, but a little.

• I was born in the deep south, in Columbus Georgia. However, I spent most of my childhood in the northeast.
• Yet, I did spend a year in Birmingham Alabama when I was in 5^th grade – an impressionable year.
• During my college years I spent spring vacation my junior year in Jackson MS rebuilding an African American church that had been burned to the ground. My summer jobs during two of my college years were spent working for Congressman Charles E. Bennett from Jacksonville Florida.  The first summer I was an intern in his office in Washington DC.  But the second summer I was stationed in Jacksonville, working on his campaign for reelection to Congress.
• My parents spent their final years in Florida, and my sister and brother in law spend most of the year in their place in Florida.

Yes, I have some – not much, but a little bit — of the south in my history.  I believe that these relatively brief experiences in the south have instilled in me a respect for and an admiration of southern manners.

But I think that another reason I am so impressed with southern manners and graciousness is that it stands in such contrast to what I experience in other parts of this great country.  obviously when I say this, I am generalizing.  It is not that other areas of the country are not welcoming, not well mannered, not gracious, not hospitable.  No, they are.  But, the south, it seems to me, is extra welcoming, extra well mannered, extra gracious and extra hospitable.

As I say this I fully realize that I am talking about 2023 and not certain periods in the history of the South which were anything but mannerly.  I also realize that I am saying all this as a white Caucasian male.

Finally, I think part of the reason I am commenting on southern manners is that I really like them.  It feels good.  I cannot deny that it gives me a good feeling.

Not quite sure why.  Maybe it is the belief that it is so genuine.  Maybe it is the respect implied when someone calls me “sir”.   Maybe it is the sweetness that seems to roll off every word spoken.  Maybe it is the momentary stoppage of time, when someone takes the time to look me in the eye and ask if there is something they can do to help me.  I am not sure.

But what I do know is that I really like southern manners.  I do not take it for granted and I notice when it does happen.

I want to give a shout out for southern manners.