I have lived in the South for 25 years of my 26 years of life. However, the South has never been and will never be my home. Isn't it funny how we can delineate the areas of our country by culture? The West, it has hippies in California, artists and pueblos in Arizona, and rain in Washington. The North East, is cable knit sweaters, hiking, snotty, and rich. The South, is racism, grits, religious nuts, and farmers. We have to move past our differences and see each other as individuals.
For example, because I do not have a Southern accent, do not wear camouflage, and am not related to the people around here I am an immediate outsider at school as an educator. The first time I meet with families there is usually not a connection. It takes time for me to open up to families and relate to them in more ways than their child. It is almost like the families live this alternative lifestyle that I just don't fit in.
Furthermore,
the people I work with often see me as cold and unapproachable. Just this past
week I had a training with one other person on our staff, the agriculture
teacher. She is homespun Southern and wasn't too sure about spending time with
me. After an all day training and lunch together we have managed to carry on a
casual conversation, but it is by no means easy. These examples show how hard it can be for individuals who just don't seem to fit in. I have included the link to "Teaching Tolerance" a wonderful website for anti-bias education information. They featured an article called "You're Not from Around Here" that explains a little more about regionalism.
I really enjoyed this post and can relate but in a different way. I was born in Philadelphia and lived there until I left to go to college in Pittsburgh. Although I was not the daughter of a doctor or lawyer I fit in better with my high class peers than I ever did with my peers in the city of Philadelphia. After I got married I moved to North Carolina, where once again I felt that I fit in much better there than I did in the place where I lived for 23 years. I do not have a Southern accent, listen to country music, wear camouflage, eat grits, etc., yet I consider NC to be my home even though I only lived there for 5 years.
ReplyDeleteI spend 23 years of my life in a big city where crime and poverty are normal, lived 4 years in a very well off area of another city, and then 5 years in a more laid back state, not to mention the close to 3 years I have now spend in Hawaii. The only place I have ever lived that I do not fit in is the place I spent the most time in. It does not make sense to me but I am looking forward to reading your article now to see if it can answer some questions.