Amanda Karns (amamkarn@mars.utm.edu) from 206.240.205.224 at 11/04/99 01:59PM
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    My life is like Jolynn Terrys', except it is reversed. I have lived in the North all of my life, and I have only visited the South a few times. Coming here for college has forced me to look at certain situations in a whole new light. I am ashamed to admit that my friends and I used to make fun of all those 'rednecks' who would hoot and holler and say things like 'If you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us'. I have a few friends and a few family members who are those 'rednecks' and they would do just about anything for you, and they are some of the nicest guys that I have in my life. I have family that lives in Indiana, and the culture is almost the same there. I can look at many of my friends and see that they don't stress family as much in some parts of the North as they do in the South. Family and church are some of the most important parts of life in the South, and I like that. There are a lot of differences between the North and the South, whether it be music, food, church, or language in general. I often here a lot of people jokingly refer to me as a 'Yankee'. This doesn't bother me if it's someone that I know personally, because I am a laid-back person and it's usually in a light hearted tone. It does bother me when someone I have never met before automatically refers to me as that. My name is Amanda, feel free to speak to me by using my given name. I admit that I had stereotypes as well when I first came here. Two of my biggest fears were: 1. Am I going to develope an accent? and 2. Am I going to start listening to country music. I am now realizing that these things aren't so bad and my stereotypes are fading, slowly but surely. I have also discovered that not everyone down here listens to country music. There is a lot of rock, rap, gospel, and so on, more than I realized. My roommates and I all listen to different types of music. We have everything from Jars of Clay to Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, Nine Inch Nails, Tupac, and Annie Difranco and the Dixie Chicks. It helps to open your ears to something new everyday, that's the best way to learn about any culture. I realize now that this is my home for the next few years, and who knows? I may never move back to the North. Overall, my experience down here has been so wonderful, and I do believe that I have experienced what is known as 'real Southern hospitality'. Thank you