Southern Charm Sensitivity

What does the appeal of Southern hospitality mean to you? 

“People trust their eyes above all else- but people see what they wish to see, or what they believe they should see; not what is really there.” (Zoe Marriott)

Southern  charm –  “The warm, polite and welcoming behavior traditionally associated with the Southern United States. It’s demeanor that makes one more comfortable and valued now.”

During my roadtrip experiences in recent years, I’ve encountered tourist situations   that allegedly promoted the hospitable appeal of southern U.S. charm during various stopovers in this region. In this regard, consider three tourist scenarios I’ve faced in the past. For one, there was a time when I impatiently counted the minutes until I made my timed entry into a former slaveholding mansion from Civil War times in Charleston, South Carolina. To pass the time, I poured myself  a glass of water from a self serving table but there was no  human around to talk to. Or envision my visit to the Elvis Presley birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi whereby a tour guide nervously read a planned script he had memorized to report about  “The King’s” upbringing. Yet I’d been hoping he’d put some emotion into his job, perhaps telling engaging stories about  rock n’ roll’s roots of popularity at the time. I give notice as well to that quiet Sunday morning in Savannah, Georgia when I watched a crowd of tourists admire a short distance away those pretty young women dressed formally in “Southern Belle” attire accompanying their dapper looking gentlemen into the weekly Baptist  church service. Yet there’d be no chance at any time for mutual friendly interaction with these “locals” in any way.

While I admit that each of the above situations “digged up” bits of nostalgic interest, none of them in my view sufficed to believe that any real friendliness or hospitality was displayed that seemed relevant to the modern American South. I then thought to just show me a time and place instead that’s more applicable to the “here and now”where southerners acted with  more genuine kindness  and polite regard for others beyond just tradition. So in moving forward, I’d selected our road trip visit to the Greenville, South Carolina vicinity as the source of my “southern charm” investigations. Specifically, I would randomly  choose “Greer”,  a suburban  town, twenty four minutes driving time northeast of Greenville’s city limits to visit on that day. 

To begin, I decided to visit the  sprawling BMW complex center just outside of Greer hoping to find a vantage point that demonstrated the degree of team friendliness displayed in  producing and marketing such high quality vehicles. To my dismay however, the self guided  “Zentrum” tour I chose there would mainly function as a large car dealer showroom of the latest BMW models with minimal human contact in sight.                                        

Next up on my agenda would be finding a suitable lunch spot in the heat of the day in Greer town proper to further investigate the potential presence of southern charm culture. Toward that end, a first glance hinting at hospitality potential happened upon driving through the heart of downtown. It seemed then that I felt a positive aura in observing recent redevelopment of these historic surroundings along these brick covered streets, that captured a fresh spirit of I was welcome to this town. Upon further inspection by taking a follow-up walk, I indeed confirmed how the effective use of clever word signage, colorful floral arrangements and patriotic flag placement in proximity to storefronts contributed to such a friendly and courteous spirit for visitors to see.

Moving on to make best use of my lunch destination at a small cafe within a lavish hotel, I observed a more human interactive look at the local populace of Greer. For while the service seemed slow, I found good reason to just sit and observe. In doing so, I found time to converse with an elderly waiter who inquired about my food preferences and thereupon offered me a tasty plate of southern  grits while I waited to order. Several surrounding  customers also took time to introduce themselves to me followed by an enthusiastic sharing of why Greer would make a nice place for me to consider relocating to as a permanent home. 

So what I learned in Greer seemed to surprise me. For in spite of feeling the unusual warmth of such Southern culture on so many occasions that day, I’d never feel comfortable moving there, just the same. Enjoy the Greer photos. 

Blog Sources:

https://scribblesandgrits.com/what-does-it-mean-to-have-southern-charm/

https://www.southernliving.com/culture/southern-hospitality