Xenia in mythology is the concept of hospitality to the travelers.Does Southern Hospitality exist? Maybe, people don't trust people like they did in the past.
One of the problems with Southern mythology is that it changes and is manufactured as we speak. Don't get me started with Nashville's corruption of country music and southern culture. My particular pet peeve is "Bless your heart." is a sugar-coated insinuation that you are pitifully dumb. "Bless your heart" is an endearment from me. I learned it from my father. He said "Bless your heart" and meant it.
One more corruption is the crudeness romanticized with the "redneck" schtick.
When Jeff Foxworthy broke the ice with redneck jokes, there was a piece of all of us relaxing about uncouth relatives and friends. We love them for and despite their long-winded opinions and quirks.
Then, we got all this characterization of down home folks. One peculiarity of the South is that good manners were practiced by all social classes. We do have social classes that are disappearing some. To be honest, there is a class system throughout the country despite our being a classless society.
In Fort Valley, the teenagers clerking at the gas station are friendly and will converse with you. In other parts, the clerk will ignore anything you say unless it pertains to the order. Society and people change. I'm afraid, Southern hospitality is not as vibrant as it was in the past.
How is hospitality in your area?
A more recent definition of Xenia is the change in a plant's ovum when fertilized with pollen. Talk about being friendly.
Plants getting it on lol everyone needs some lovin.
ReplyDeleteHospitality here, meh, a little I'd say but not a ton
That is one thing that I loved about visiting the south, or even going to college there, was how friendly and kind everyone was. Southern hospitality was still alive in the 80's. Sad to hear that it isn't as vibrant as it used to be.
ReplyDeleteI think hospitality has withered in most parts of the country and even the world. We don't trust strangers and actually mistrust friendly strangers more than rude ones.
ReplyDeleteGood post. Thanks for stopping by today.
ReplyDeleteI like your X post!
ReplyDeleteI moved to the south 16 years ago (Ohio to Texas)
Southern hospitality may not be what it used to be but I still believe people in the south are kinder and more hospitable than folks up north.
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