Brutal Days

Well, it's summertime in the South. That means many things. Hot. Hot. Hot days. Humidity. Humidity. Humidity. Afternoon thunderstorms, that do everything but cool down the day. Imagine yourself walking into a sauna wearing a wet electric blanket on its highest setting. Welcome to the Southern summer! Everything, clothing, hair along with every plant is wilted. Every plant that is, but the kudzu vine and the magnolia tree.

Two Southern staples and they thrive in this environment. How do we survive it? Talk slow. Drive fast. Turn the ceiling fans on high. Keep the a/c as low as it can be. Drink as much sweet iced tea as you can. Park as close to the door as you can. Rock in that rocking chair and watch the world go by. Cut back all the kudzu vines, they want to take over. Then sit in the shade of the magnolia tree. Or the mimosa tree, they work just as well.

Whenever summer hits, I ask myself why I want to live here. Want to know the answer? I'd rather be a Southerner than be from anywhere else. So I'll just sip my tea and rock my way through the six months that are summer in the South.