Jeremy Pratt (jerrprat@mars.utm.edu) from 192.239.156.139 at 09/30/98 09:41AM
comment
    My comment is mostly to refute(sp?) what Ms. Lambert just said. One the contrary, southern women are not just simply a woman who lives in the south. In my eyes, a southern lady is someone with an old-fashioned sense of dignity. If you are an honorable guy, this example will make sense to you. When I went to New York last year, people were shocked that I would hold the door for a lady. A complete stranger walked up to me and said, "She is perfectly able to open a door by herself." I told this perfect stranger that I didn't care if she was able to open the door, I wanted to hold it for her anyway. I was holding the door for someone else in our group and she, being the perfect lady said, "thank you very much." The same thing has happened to me before here in Tennessee. If there is a stranger walking behind me and I walk in a door, I will most certainly hold the door for that stranger. It insults some people because they think I am attacking their ability, and this is not the case. I do nice things because that is how I was raised and that is the way I shall act. A southern lady is the kind of person who would appreciate a random act of kindness and not become confused or defensive about it. I make the distinction much the same between a southern "guy" and a southern "gentleman". A gentleman is one who would be kind enough to hold the door for somebody, or run out to the car in the rain and pick her up at the fromt so your girl won't have to walk in the rain as well. There is a state of mind that goes with it. It can't really be seen until one opens one's mouth, but then it is painfully obvious. That is all I have to say on the subject. May peace favor your sword, Kulgan