Howdy, y'all!

Why are people so much friendlier in the south?  I spent four days driving three rental cars (don't ask; it's not a pretty story) around Virginia, DC, and Maryland, and given the number of troubles and wrong turns I accumulated in that time, I was amazed and gladdened and downright thrilled by the hordes of kind souls who assisted me in ways big and small.  Everyone says hello.  Everyone makes eye contact.  Everyone is willing to take a moment of precious time to hear your request and then fulfill it.  A waitress offered to take me home with her because she was afraid I was too tired to drive.  A man broke the speed limit (and perhaps the space-time continuum) to get to me to jumpstart my car so I could get to my appointment.  Three different people walked me to the places I was seeking, though perhaps that speaks to my general air of befuddlement at that point, but still, they walked me there.  People who didn't know an answer to my question looked so mournful that I feared they might cry.  Another man gave me a guided tour since the assigned person was sick, and this meant that he had to leave the information desk unattended.  On the flip side people did not honk when I was in the wrong lane, again.  People did not flip me off when I made a u-turn, again.  More people wished me a happy holiday than I swear would have if I'd been in a roomful of people I have known for years, perhaps driven by Boston's ultra-PC consciousness that this might not be my holiday, but honestly, who cares?  It was nice to hear it.  It was nice to experience it.  It's a good thing that the warmer weather is finally coming here, or else the siren call of the south might just be too loud to ignore.  Happy May!

http://www.visitsoutherncomfort.com/deejacfinarp.html