She asked me, "Do you consider yourself a Southerner?"
My kneejerk reaction is to say, "Hell no!" I don't, however. I think about it. "I'm certainly not a cowboy," I say. I begin to think about a connection to the earth, to the soil. Many people have that, however. It's not really regional. "I'm a city person," I say.
I begin to think of scenarios. A country club party? Hell no. A backyard barbecue? Yeah, probably. A rowdy sports bar? Not exactly. A coffee shop? Duh. A rock concert? Probably. With a mosh pit? Maybe in the back. A country music bar? Hells no! A poetry reading? Maybe. A rap concert? Maybe. A large board room table? Yes. A tech trade show? Yes. A small social gathering? Yes, probably.
I'm most comfortable with bohemian types and hippies. I can fake it with more stylish people for a while, but I'm never quite comfortable. I'm fine around plain, simple people, suburban people, country people, business people. Really cool hipsters? I can joke around their fringes, but I'd never get past the perimeter.
"A Southerner? No, not really. But maybe," I say.
"I'll mark 'No'," she says. "Next question. Do you consider yourself a cool person?"
Hello, friends. How would you answer that question if someone asked you (about yourself, not about me)?
Later. Love.
