No es por nada, but como que los del South sí sabemos ser buenos hosts. A couple of weeks ago, before embarking on this Texas Road Trip that we’re currently on, I’d taken another road trip. That one had been much longer and had taken me across states like Virginia, Tennessee and Mississippi, before crossing us back home into the Lone Star state. Texas, of course. I had thought it then, but now, I guess you could say, my suspicions have been confirmed.
En ese entonces, as soon as we crossed into Tex-Mex land everyone was so much friendlier. The lady at the gas station was happy to offer up: you can add cheese and chili sauce to that hon, without even being asked. And she seemed genuinely interested in making sure our hot dogs were mmm-mmm good! They were, by the way. For whatever reason, our stop there with her made me think about Paula Dean. It was as if though in her asking us about our hot dogs she’d really said put some South in your mouth! I couldn’t have been more happier to oblige.
Let’s just say in other places outside of Texas people were definitely not as friendly.
Now, everywhere we go, I can’t help but notice how friendly everyone is here. And our road trip across Texas is proving to be quite the supporting testament to this, perhaps very bold statement on my part.
In Texas, we like to say “Hi” “Good morning” “Hello” or “Hola” to each other even if we are complete strangers, in passing. A smile for all or any of the aforementioned is just as good too. We wave a hand of recognition when driving or walking in traffic, to thank other fellow Texans for letting us cross or drive in front of them. We say “Bless you” when someone sneezes. We hold doors open for people coming in or out of a building behind us. We’re not above pulling over and giving someone a jump. And most importantly, we won’t yell at pedestrians in front of us about how slow their walking ahead of us. Their certainly aren’t any fast and slow lanes on our sidewalks. I think we’re still a little surprised about being told to hurry up in the Big Apple last year, LOL!
Of course, my intention is not to say people in other states aren’t just as friendly. Only that I appreciate my fellow Texans for showing their Southern hospitality and home training more often than not.
What do you think? Are people in the South more friendly and/or hospitable, or is it just a figment of my imagination?