Life in the Deep South (Tupelo, Horn Lake: rental car, rental, home)

[Listener2307]

On Sunday, I had to make a run to The Big Supermarket. Since it was about noon, That Woman suggested that I pick up something from the deli, and bring it home for lunch.
I went to the deli, but the food looked old and the people looked pretty uninterested, too. No problem. The Smaller Store has a deli, too.
The smaller Store is frequented by lots of Black folks. White people use, it, too, mind you, but The Smaller Store has been here for many, many years and has a large Black clientele.
Keep in mid it's right after church, so I stand in line at the deli. I'm the only White guy there; Black women above the age of 50 made up the rest of the group. That's not a problem for me; I'm comfortable. Just waiting my turn.
I was listening to the chatter in the group, but not saying anything. They greeted each other with familiarity and enthusiasm. I nodded to some of them, but did not know anyone. The Older Lady declared that she needed a hug from her younger friend. As she hugged her younger friend, she caught my eye, and declared, "You too! You ain't hugging nobody, and e'ry'body needs hugging". So the next thing I know she had done "grabbed aholt" and was hugging me, like I was a lost brother. Then the other women took her lead and everybody in the group had to hug everybody else. All eight of us.

It was ridiculous, and we all laughed and laughed.
When I got home, I told That Woman, and we both enjoyed the story all over again. Hugs from strangers!


Awright, here's the question:
How long do you think I would have to live in Chicago before that happened up there?....

[RocketDawg]

Nice story. And it's not surprising that it happened.

[Southern man]

Originally Posted by Listener2307

On Sunday, I had to make a run to The Big Supermarket. Since it was about noon, That Woman suggested that I pick up something from the deli, and bring it home for lunch.
I went to the deli, but the food looked old and the people looked pretty uninterested, too. No problem. The Smaller Store has a deli, too.
The smaller Store is frequented by lots of Black folks. White people use, it, too, mind you, but The Smaller Store has been here for many, many years and has a large Black clientele.
Keep in mid it's right after church, so I stand in line at the deli. I'm the only White guy there; Black women above the age of 50 made up the rest of the group. That's not a problem for me; I'm comfortable. Just waiting my turn.
I was listening to the chatter in the group, but not saying anything. They greeted each other with familiarity and enthusiasm. I nodded to some of them, but did not know anyone. The Older Lady declared that she needed a hug from her younger friend. As she hugged her younger friend, she caught my eye, and declared, "You too! You ain't hugging nobody, and e'ry'body needs hugging". So the next thing I know she had done "grabbed aholt" and was hugging me, like I was a lost brother. Then the other women took her lead and everybody in the group had to hug everybody else. All eight of us.

It was ridiculous, and we all laughed and laughed.
When I got home, I told That Woman, and we both enjoyed the story all over again. Hugs from strangers!


Awright, here's the question:
How long do you think I would have to live in Chicago before that happened up there?....

Why would you even joke about living in Chicago? Anyway about a thousand years.

[Listener2307]

Originally Posted by Southern man

Why would you even joke about living in Chicago? Anyway about a thousand years.

I actually lived there for a couple of years.
Yeah. It would never happen in Chicago.

[Hiruko]

Originally Posted by Listener2307

I actually lived there for a couple of years.
Yeah. It would never happen in Chicago.

Maybe at a Boystown gay bar.

[UrbanLuis]

Really nice story. I wish that sort of thing happened more often. People don't even greet each other where I live.

[Listener2307]

Originally Posted by UrbanLuis

Really nice story. I wish that sort of thing happened more often. People don't even greet each other where I live.

It's a cultural thing and a regional thing. I would not expect that action from a group of White women, though; it's more of a Black thing.

Most Southerners greet each other, and most Southerners touch each other as we're talking. I've lived all over - Seattle, San Diego, Chicago and lots of other places, too. When I was away from the South I missed it precisely because of the way strangers greet each other.
We hosted a visitor from Ukraine a few years back. She said people would think she was crazy if she went back to Ukraine and greeted strangers on the street the way we do here. She found it very strange. I can only imagine her reaction of some stranger wanted to hug her!

[Desert kid]

Originally Posted by Listener2307

On Sunday, I had to make a run to The Big Supermarket. Since it was about noon, That Woman suggested that I pick up something from the deli, and bring it home for lunch.
I went to the deli, but the food looked old and the people looked pretty uninterested, too. No problem. The Smaller Store has a deli, too.
The smaller Store is frequented by lots of Black folks. White people use, it, too, mind you, but The Smaller Store has been here for many, many years and has a large Black clientele.
Keep in mid it's right after church, so I stand in line at the deli. I'm the only White guy there; Black women above the age of 50 made up the rest of the group. That's not a problem for me; I'm comfortable. Just waiting my turn.
I was listening to the chatter in the group, but not saying anything. They greeted each other with familiarity and enthusiasm. I nodded to some of them, but did not know anyone. The Older Lady declared that she needed a hug from her younger friend. As she hugged her younger friend, she caught my eye, and declared, "You too! You ain't hugging nobody, and e'ry'body needs hugging". So the next thing I know she had done "grabbed aholt" and was hugging me, like I was a lost brother. Then the other women took her lead and everybody in the group had to hug everybody else. All eight of us.

It was ridiculous, and we all laughed and laughed.
When I got home, I told That Woman, and we both enjoyed the story all over again. Hugs from strangers!


Awright, here's the question:
How long do you think I would have to live in Chicago before that happened up there?....

On my last trip to Mississippi last October (I passed through Tupelo AND I AM KICKING MYSELF FOR NOT REACHING OUT TO YOU!)

....Anyway, on my last trip out there last October, I was gassing up my rental car in Horn Lake and on my way to visit jhadorn in Senatobia, escaping the riff raff of Memphis and an elderly man was lamenting he had an empty gas tank and had to get to Coldwater. Well, since where he was going was literally ten minutes from where I was going. I asked him to come over and I stuck my gas nozzle into his cannister he was holding and gave him $30 worth of gas. He thanked me profusely.

Really, it is just the small things. And I'm not even a Southerner.

[Mouldy Old Schmo]

Originally Posted by Desert kid

On my last trip to Mississippi last October (I passed through Tupelo AND I AM KICKING MYSELF FOR NOT REACHING OUT TO YOU!)

....Anyway, on my last trip out there last October, I was gassing up my rental car in Horn Lake and on my way to visit jhadorn in Senatobia, escaping the riff raff of Memphis and an elderly man was lamenting he had an empty gas tank and had to get to Coldwater. Well, since where he was going was literally ten minutes from where I was going. I asked him to come over and I stuck my gas nozzle into his cannister he was holding and gave him $30 worth of gas. He thanked me profusely.

Really, it is just the small things. And I'm not even a Southerner.

Must have been a big canister to hold thirty dollars worth
of gas.

[Desert kid]

Originally Posted by Mouldy Old Schmo

Must have been a big canister to hold thirty dollars worth
of gas.

Yeah it was on the bigger end.