Don't be fooled by the titled; I'm not talking about the Civil War. No, this is simply a comparison. After looking over my blog this morning, I realized that it's been sometime since I've written something. So why not take some time and write about a topic that's been on my mind for quite a lot the last few weeks. The topic of what are some things that are different about the North and the South.
I have lived in the South for almost a year and a half. WOW! Has it really been that long? I guess so: a short time compared to the 18+ years that I lived in the Northern part of the United States. Being in Georgia the last 18 months has given me some time to notice three things that are so different from the North that it has taken me months to get used to them. So for your enjoyment and hopefully a good laugh, here they are (in order of increasing interest to me)...
1. Shoes
When I walk in to any house, I immediately take off my shoes. I was taught this at a young age. You never wear shoes in the house. Why? Because what you have on your feet has just touched the ground outside. And this ground is dirty, wet, snowy, muddy, you name it, and you wouldn't want to track any of that into the house. So naturally, when I moved to the south and entered a house, I left my shoes at the front door. But I soon found out that I was the only person walking around with no shoes on. When a southerner walks into a home, they leave their shoes on. Why this is so, I do not know. But, I have given in to this trend and while it is still habit (and preferred) for me to take off my shoes at the doorway, I will keep them on when appropriate.
2. Make-Up
I wore a lot of make-up when I was in late middle school to early high school. As I matured, I toned it down to just what I needed. My first year out of high school, I would only put it on when absolutely necessary. Now I go to UGA and have realized that women, and even young girls in 6th grade, wear SO much make-up. And I am NOT exaggerating. It's amazing to me how beautiful the women are in the south, but also how much make-up is on their face. Even when I did wear lots of make-up, I was never one to wear foundation. It clogged my pores and my acne is bad enough as it is without something else helping it to get worse. Down here, I see the girls from far away and envy their seemingly perfect, acne-less skin, but upon getting closer, I realize it is all only an illusion. What seems to be perfect skin is nothing short of the Covergirl liquid make-up that is hiding the blemishes that the sinful world and bad genes has cursed us with. Unlike the shoe issue, this is one area that I will not be conforming to (at least not everyday). I wear the occasional full-face of make-up (complete with foundation, blush and eye-shadow) for special occasions such as parties or church functions. But my everyday wear will still consist of only mascara and my special lipgloss (which at the moment is only chapstick). I want people to be looking at me for me, seeing the beauty within, not because my Neutrogena powder is covering all my facial flaws.
3. Food
Let me tell you a story. Last Saturday night I went to an engagement party with two girls from my Bible Study for the woman who led our Bible study. The time of the party was 6:30pm, right around dinner time. I was tempted to eat before going, thinking that I might get hungry while being there, when I stopped myself. "What am I thinking. This is the South. There will be food there." In the south, everything seems to revolve around food. You will never go to a party or a function without there being food (and people wonder why there are so many fat people in the south...hmmm). Now, I'm not just talking about chips and dip or cookies and candies; I'm talking about an actual meal. In the north, at least what I experienced, if you went to a party, ya, there would be food there. But the extent of the food in the north is just what I mentioned. Snacks: chips, dip, candy or dessert. In the south, it's a full meal, or enough that it could be a meal. At the engagement party I went to, it was a meal. Salad, pasta, bread rolls, mashed potatoes, roast beef, and even shrimp. I was talking to one of the girls that I went to the party with and told her about this difference, that this was not the norm in the north. She could not wrap her mind around the fact that if you went to a party in the north, there just might not be food.
I've been out of the US before. I went to Europe for 10 days with my grandparents and my cousin. I went to Panama for an 18 day mission trip with my Church in WI. I've been to Mexico and Canada. I have even spent a month in Brazil with Impact360 last January. People always talk about experiencing culture shock when going to or coming back from a foreign country. I never have...until now. Living in the south is a culture shock. And it's not like the year ends and I get to go back home where I'm used to everything. No. I live here now. This is my new "normal."
