I'll Pass on the Grits, Thank You.

I live in the south…it's hot, grits are a standard with breakfast, and the cannons on the courthouse squares still point north...seriously.


When we first PCSed (that’s Permanent Change of Station) here from Germany we lived much closer to D.C. on a military base. I met a lot of people and not one of them from Virginia…not one. In fact, I don’t think I had even met anyone from the south at all…except Florida…and, well, everyone knows Florida isn’t really part of the south. Until I moved south of D.C., I had only been called a Yankee once in my life…when I was in New Zealand. Of course he was referring to me as an American in general and not because I was from Indiana.

Because of our proximity to military bases, we still live with people from all over the place, but there are certainly a greater number of “locals”. There is also a tremendous amount of history here. Civil War Battlefields, and famous American homesteads are all around. The further south I drive the more often I find myself saying “pardon” or “I’m sorry can you repeat that?” Twice in the last week, I’ve had someone point out that I was a Yankee. I guess they figure that out when my Yankee brain can’t handle the flow of vowels and missing consonants. It was never said in a derogatory way…just as a fact.

The local Virginians I’ve met have all been very pleasant. There are only two things that bother me, the inability to drive in snow and the use of the confederate flag. It’s one thing if you have it on your POV (another fun military acronym: Privately Owned Vehicle) but another on company vehicles. Granted they are probably all small, local, business owners…but I still think it’s inappropriate.

One day my children may ask me what that flag is, that is easy to answer. The “Why” is more difficult to answer. You hear the word “heritage” used often…but no one has yet to explain to me why that makes it appropriate for use outside of a museum.

Here is an admission: none of my ancestors fought in the Civil War…most of mine were still in Germany at the time…so maybe I am not entitled to an opinion at all about the confederate flag?

A local would certainly have more than two things that bother him about me (I can think of twenty off the top of my head)…but he is far too nice to say.