Southern Culture is more than just “Voting Red...”
Church, school, and Unloading Trucks
Sit down here with Granny. I want to honestly share with you why Southern culture is more than just “voting red,” and why outsiders who move here without understanding that are often accused of destroying our way of life.
I was born a mere geographical stone’s toss from where my ancestors first settled in this country in 1605. Growing up in both the Southeast as well as the Southwest, I was surrounded by a culture of rebel mascots, Dixie and grits. As an adult I realized the culture I accepted as “normal” was not the culture or values shared by everyone in America, and so my husband and I returned to my birth place to raise our children. Unfortunately, years later, our little slice of paradise was invaded.
Post-lockdowns, folks wanted to move somewhere freer that represented their values. However all conservatism is not the same. We can all agree that we don’t want the government shutting down private businesses, but how do you unload a truck? Think I’m joking? I’m not...
First came the track housing. It was built, in some cases, where we locals used to throw garbage back in the day. Then, our old farm houses became hipster breweries. Annoying, but not yet encroaching. Then Yankees came for our homeschool groups. Suddenly our social outlets were filled with people telling me my grandmother’s pancake recipe was full of carbs, and turning their nose up at my Orthodox faith because it wasn’t their brand of Yankee Protestant Puritanism. And when I mean turning their nose up I mean total shunning. Over and over again…
Our culture is on life support with so many people coming from California, Illinois. New York and other blue areas. They have no concept of what our land is about and what they think they know is only from the movies and TV.