THIS IS MY SOUTH

My South is full of honest, hard-working people.

My South is the birthplace of blues and jazz and rock n' roll. It has banjo pickers and fiddle players, but it also has B. B. King, Muddy Waters, the Allman Brothers and Elvis.

In my South, football is king and the Southeastern Conference and the Atlantic Coast Conference are the conferences to watch.

In my South, the only person that has to sit on the back of the bus is the last person that got on the bus. In my South, the tea is iced and almost as sweet as the women.

My South has AIR-CONDITIONING.

In my South, soul food and country cooking are the same thing.

In my South, family matters deeply. In my South, people still say "yes, ma'am," "no ma'am, "please," and "thank you."

My South is camellias, azaleas, wisteria, magnolias, hydrangeas, orange blossoms and the smell of newly-mowed grass.

My South is hot and in August the humidity will kill you.

In my South, people put peanuts in bottles of Coca-Cola, Pepsi and hot sauce on almost everything.



In my South, serving in our nation's military is still considered an honorable profession.

In my South we still honor our ancestors and we preserve their history and talk of their character, integrity and their convictions.

In my South we refer to the "war" as the War Between the States and not the civil war. Ever look up the definition of "civil war"? Well you should and then you would know why we are the ones telling the truth. In my South we also refer to the "war" as the War of Northern Aggression, the Second Revolutionary War, the War for Southern Independence, the War for States Rights and in Charleston, the Late Unpleasantness.

My South is gumbo, boiled shrimp, peach cobbler, home made ice cream, strawberry preserves, cornbread, butter beans, fried chicken, grits and catfish and don't forget hush puppies.

My South is also sushi, champagne, caviar, risotto, and any other fine food you can imagine. My South is home to some of the most beautiful women on the planet.

My South has fostered some of our nation's greatest writers: William Faulkner, Harper Lee, Eudora Welty, Willie Morris, Ernest Hemingway, Richard Wright, Shelby Foote, etc.

My South is home to some of the friendliest and most gracious people you will ever meet.

In my South, we all wear shoes---most of the time.

My South is the best-kept secret in the country.

(Written by: Robert St. John, executive chef and owner of the Crescent City Grill and Mahogany Bar of Hattiesburg, Mississippi)