Sunday Seven - 47th Edition

I'm a Georgia girl - one of those dyed-in-the-wool GRITS (girls raised in the south). I have lived all but 8 years of my life somewhere in Georgia -- but never more than 7 years in one city or town! I was raised as a Methodist PK (preacher's kid) and then, doggone if I didn't go and marry a Methodist preacher, so I have lived my entire life in parsonages all over North Georgia - about 13 of them in all. Anyway, I am glad to be a Georgian; and since the name contains seven letters, this week I will use the letters of GEORGIA to list 7 things I like about my home state and its inhabitants:

G = The geography of the state is varied and magnificent. The Northeast corner holds the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The Southest corner is on the Atlantic coast and features beautiful white-sand beaches. The Northwest has scenery ranging from rolling green hills to spectacular cliffs overlooking deep-cut gorges where rivers have flowed for eons. Central Georgia is heavily developed and populated, providing shopping and entertainment possibilities for all Georgians.

E = The economy of the state is relatively healthy. Our taxes, gas prices, and general living expenses are usually lower than in some more populated and industrialized states.

O = Open spaces. There is still undeveloped land where one can take a country road and drive for miles seeing only pastures, animals, and natural scenery. There are walking trails where one can enjoy the same scenery on foot. I have enjoyed walking the Silver Comet trail many times. It was built following the path of a defunct railroad track.
R = Many of my relatives live somewhere in Georgia. Our current generation of twenty-somethings is getting adventurous (one in California, one in NY, one in Germany, one in DC, one in Kenya, and one in New Hampshire), but their grandmother and their parents live in Georgia, so they still have ties and visit here. Many aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. still live in the Atlanta area. A few live in neighboring states Alabama and Tennessee.

G = Good Manners. Most people in the South are welcoming and polite to strangers. I like the fact that strangers will "throw up a hand" to you as you drive by. I like the fact that those you pass on the street will look you in the eye and say "hi." I enjoy the fact that most people still know how to use "please" and "thank you." I especially love the roadway tradition of moving to the side of the road and stopping as a show of respect when a funeral procession approaches oncoming traffic.

I = The Infrequency of Ice and Snow. Every winter when I rush to and from the car when forced to be outdoors in below freezing temperatures and cower under multiple blankets on the sofa in the evenings, I thank my lucky stars that I live in a state where a heavy coat is needed only a few times a year.

A = Assumption of good intentions. This is not as prevalent as it was in my childhood, but Southerners, generally speaking, don't get "their panties in a wad" too easily. That comes from being brought up to assume that other people are acting with good intentions even if something appears to be insulting or negative in some way. Generally people will at least give someone the opportunity to explain further rather than to just "fly off the handle" immediately upon hearing something with which they disagree.

These good qualities are probably not exclusive to Georgia, but they do exist here.