Sarah Anthony (sarcanth@mars.utm.edu) from 10.100.5.57 at 10/23/01 06:48PM
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    I was born in Martin, TN and have only moved once my entire life - a mile down the road from my old house. So needless to say, it's hard for me to tell how southern families differ from others, since I've never known any other way. But there is one trait that is undeniable, and that's the way that a southern family stays connected. My father's family is a little more than close-knit...my grandmother built across the street from my aunt, and her son, as well as each of her two daughters lived in a trailer in her backyard - not all at the same time (before they built a new stable for the horses, that is). Forget "family get-togethers", they're always together. They don't need the internet to stay in touch, or even the telephone. They usually even forget to knock on the back door. To me, that shows what a southern family was - but not necessarily what a southern family is. I hope that the south will continue to move along at its steady pace as the world flies by around it!