hi nem,
What? I was as far south as it gets? Or, by that, do you mean that because I lived in Florida, I couldn't really be considered from the South?
where in florida did you live? it makes a big difference.
i live in one of the more southern (geographically) regions, palm beach county. yes, we were the ones who screwed up the 2000 election with stupid old people and our ill-concieved ballots.
we have something of a joke here. "you have to go north to get to the deep south." i would happily call everything north of, say, ocala "the south." but down here, we're really part of the north. it has nothing to do with when we were purchased, or spain, or any of that stuff. it has to do with
who lives here.
they say "new jersey is a subburb of new york city," well, so is south florida. to the south, we are absolutely infused with new yorkers and northerners in general who either live here half the year, or have moved here. most everyone else is either hispanic or haitian. there are not many "native" floridians that can trace their family back more than 2 generations here. ideas and lifestyles are very northern, with a strong laid-back streak, and a chintzy temporary building style. in northern florida and the panhandle, you get more a conservative and "standard american" atmosphere, not to mention more rednecks and people actually flying the confederate flag.
"the south" is really a great swath of the country, from part of texas through to east coast, not just a direction.
Edited by arachnophilia, : No reason given.