Is Oklahoma Southern or Western? (Tulsa, Lawton: transplants, work, home)

[suthernharleyryder]

this is a good one! i grew up west of tulsa(little town called terlton, near cleveland and manford/keystone) my dad was born in Caddo(south OK) and my granny was born in Tennessee(east) where I live now. when my parents moved us north, i never thought of oklahoma being anything but that, oklahoma, i hadnt lived anywhere else to compare. up north,i was teased to the extreme(eventhou i attended a military based school where most folks are from all over) still, i was a comodity it seemed, no one knew of someone fromOK, and i was teased so bad over my accent. i was called a "southerner" but mostly i was called a "hillbilly or hick". i took no offense to either, my daddy said didnt matter, just be proud of who i was. I had cousins in sand springs th half the time i myself couldnt understand, id go to tulsa an not hear people talk like myself, so i see it as far as accents go depends where yo live in OK, and where your family may have originated from. I think alot assume okies and texans are "southern" becuase of the accents, because way back, alot of southerners moved to OK and TX to settle the areas, which hence, brought the accents that define us now. id venture to say, after being here in TN, the "hillbilly" style accents derive from people who moved from this area to OK/TX, cuz i can defintaly hear same accent here as i did back home. and for msot part, minus fact ive lived up north long enough now and lost most of my "twain", folks here reconize my accent, but ask where im from cuz its not as strong as theirs. but I agree, i dont think Ok is actually the south, i mean its south of the middle of the states, but not a traditonal southern state, i dont call it the west even thou its got alot of western hertiage(bring on them there steaks boys!!) i typically refer to as mid west/with a touch of southern charm. you got the mid states/plains people, hard working, farmers, etc, but you have alot of southern hertiage to, most there dont see it unless they leave thou, if ya compare okie to a true southerner, you will see it, in some areas, families can be clannish and weary of outsiders, also with accents, but also in just ways of life, you enjoy slower paced life, your not in a hurry, you take life as it is, you dont get caught up in road rage, angry at evry little thing, ya let things roll off your back easier. which is a tyipcal southern trait. but most of all, we are just okies, pure and simple, take us or leave us, your choice, but stick around, you will see we are the best of people, we will wave at ya(and not the finger), we will welcome ya, we will lend ya a hand, and ya just cant beat our steaks or our fishen!!! thats how i describe oklahoma.

[LadyRobyn]

Hey suthernharleyryder,

Woulda been here sooner, but well... you know.

[Goodpasture]

Originally Posted by suthernharleyryder

........i grew up west of tulsa(little town called terlton, near cleveland and manford/keystone)

Where in Terlton? In town or outside of town? What possessed your folks to move there?

FWIW,I live a mile south of Terlton now...........

[undertheironsea]

Not a Confederate state, therefore, not Southern.

End of story. Accents does not a Southern state make.

[cindycat]

Originally Posted by undertheironsea

Not a Confederate state, therefore, not Southern.

How could Oklahoma have been a Confederate state? The War of Northern Aggression ended 42 years before Oklahoma statehood.

[colleeng47]

Originally Posted by cindycat

How could Oklahoma have been a Confederate state? The War of Northern Aggression ended 42 years before Oklahoma statehood.

The War of Northern Aggression??? Methinks you are a southern belle.

[cindycat]

Originally Posted by colleeng47

The War of Northern Aggression??? Methinks you are a southern belle.

Yes, I'm a temporarily displaced Okie. I learned that term from my husband, who grew up as an Arkansas boy.

Have you started to practice saying "Y'all"? Good luck with your move.

[peggydavis]

Actually, Oklahoma was involved in the Civil War. Particularly the 5 civilized tribes. Parts of the tribes or nations went with the south, part tried to stay out of the fight. There were a few battles fought, and many of the Indians' homes and farms were burned and devastated, and many starved to death. After the war all of them were punished by being made to cede large areas of their lands. The Civil War was a terrible setback in Indian Territory.

[colleeng47]

Originally Posted by cindycat

Yes, I'm a temporarily displaced Okie. I learned that term from my husband, who grew up as an Arkansas boy.

Have you started to practice saying "Y'all"? Good luck with your move.

Actually, because of our time spent in Georgia and the southwest/west, I've used the y'all quite a bit anyway. Maybe more like "you all" here in NJ instead of the "you guys" or "youse" everyone here uses.

We just arranged for our PODS to be delivered on the 22nd of February, with them picking it up March 3rd. We're planning on leaving March 2nd, which is the day after my daughter's "Sweet 16/Moving; blow-it-out" bash on March 1st. She's invited 50+ teenagers. We rented the local church hall and have a DJ coming.

[suthernharleyryder]

Originally Posted by LadyRobyn

Hey suthernharleyryder,

Woulda been here sooner, but well... you know.

glad to meet ya lady robyn!!(where did ya find the wav'n smily??)