A Northerner’s Observations of the South: Two Contrasting Ways of Life

by Nicole DeNaeyer 

Born in Manhattan in 1966 and raised in the suburbs of New York City, my aunt Ann Marie Thornton spent most of her youth in the North. It was not until after college that she got her first authentic taste of the South, working in Fairfax, Virginia, alongside people from West Virginia. “I can remember those ladies, with their Southern accents. They’d drive an hour, 60 miles, in from West Virginia. They drove their trucks, and they lived on dirt roads, and that seemed very different. So I find it pretty funny that 20 years later I have a truck and live on a dirt road!” (Thornton).

In 1992, Ann Marie and her family moved to San Antonio, Texas, and ten years later they moved to Vass, North Carolina. From her time spent living in Texas and Vass, Ann Marie has come to discern the distinct differences between the ways of life in the South, and those she observed growing up in New York. The main contrasts in culture that she has experienced were those of religion, food, people’s appearances, and attitudes.

Ann Marie was raised Irish Catholic but, attending elementary school in New York, had classmates who came from many different backgrounds and, therefore, had many different religions. In the South, Catholicism is not particularly prevalent, and Protestant Christianity is the more widespread. Ann Marie found it interesting at first that, for example, in the South a person would simply say "Christmas break," whereas in New York she was accustomed to saying winter break or the holidays. “You were always aware that there were people around who were different and had different points of view, and you’d be polite about that. And then I realized that people weren’t accustomed to growing up with different points of view” (Thornton).

In San Antonio, Ann Marie worked at St. Phillips College, a historically black school with a strong Baptist influence. People said grace before every meal and prayers before every reception, and that was something new for Ann Marie. “If you were going to have cookies and juice, someone would say a blessing. That was different to me, even having gone to a Catholic college, I felt like it was really noticeable” (Thornton). In general, Ann Marie found that the way that people talk about religion and incorporate it into their everyday lives is certainly different in New York than in the South. Another interesting experience for her was people inviting her to their church. “It’s meant totally as a complement, but it’s like ‘no, I have a church and I have a system’” (Thornton).

Growing up in the 1970s, it was the time of the women’s movement: moving away from objectification, beauty queens, and Miss America. So as you can imagine, Ann Marie was shocked when someone told her that her daughter was very pretty and she should enter a beauty contest. “It was hard not to laugh. It was bizarre to me, and I think a beauty contest would almost be a put down in the North. It would mean that someone was frivolous or vain, but that’s totally different here, and in no way did they mean it as a criticism of my daughter” (Thornton).

Ann Marie has also observed that Southern women certainly put a lot of effort and care into their appearances. Even just dashing out to the grocery store, the women put time into getting ready, whereas in New York, you just dash out to the store as you are. A funny experience for her was being at a polocrosse tournament where people camp in their cars and are around horses all day. Yet all the ladies were wearing mascara! It was something she didn’t expect to encounter at tournaments here in North Carolina, considering it more of a Texas stereotype. “People like to get their nails and hair done, and dress their best to meet whomever when they go out” (Thornton).

“If you think of a stereotypical New York shopping interaction, New York is known for the ‘whaddya want?’ sort of direct, straight to the point, brusque, no eye contact, that sort of thing. But you don’t typically find that in the South. If you go to a restaurant, it’s “What’ll ya have, Sugar?” (Thornton). This difference in people’s friendliness and attitudes was a pleasant change for Ann Marie. She observed that transactions in the South tend to be friendlier, slower, with more polite talk, and people use words like “sugar” or “sweetie” – words which in the North are not really used unless referring to a sweetheart. There is also an interconnectedness in the people here. Ann Marie remembers that when she worked at Sandhills Community College. If there was a bad news or something in the paper, chances were that one of her students would know the person involved or know their family. “That may be more small town than Southern, but that’s true” (Thornton).

Cooking is an integral part of life here. People cook different things for all occasions, and they cook them from scratch, whereas in New York, people pride themselves on knowing where to buy the best foods. When she was growing up, both of Ann Marie’s parents worked, so not everything was made from scratch. She considers that to still be part of who she is and what she does. She remembers once telling a Southern friend that she didn’t have time to bake dessert when her parents were visiting her, so she went and bought something instead. “She said, ‘Oh, I would have baked a cake for you,’ and that was nothing I expected to hear, but I found it so funny that my friend was like ‘I can’t believe that you would serve Harris Teeter cake when you could have something homemade” (Thornton).

Here the values surrounding cooking are definitely different than in New York. People adhere to traditions, eating the same meal every year for certain holidays, and not straying from that. Ann Marie was attending a friend’s New Year’s brunch one year when they had collards, hambone, and black-eyed peas. The peas are eaten for good luck in the New Year, something that Ann Marie had never heard about. She remembers her friends were mildly shocked when she told them she had never had black-eyed peas before, and furthermore had no traditions for New Year’s Day!

Because Ann Marie’s grandparents emigrated to the US from Ireland, most of her extended family’s food traditions are Irish, and “old country” dishes.” She grew up in New York surrounded by other families, where the kids her age were also only second-generation Americans. “Most of my Southern friends, their families have lived here for a long time, so their traditions are more Southern, more so than in New York” (Thornton).

These differences in culture are something that I, as a European, have also observed in my short time in the South. I found it extremely interesting to listen to Ann Marie’s stories about her experiences here and compare them to my own. While the North differs from the South in many ways, both cultures are unique in their own ways.

Work Cited 

Thornton, Ann Marie. Personal interview. 13 Sept. 2013.



Note: Nicole A. De Naeyer lives Southern Pines, NC, and is studying for an Associate's in Arts degree at Sandhills Community College. She is a native of Rotterdam, The Netherlands, where attended an American school.

The American South: A Sense of Community

by Mary Lamb

The South is not simply a geographical region; it is an animated history lesson with roots deeper than the wild fig. The culture is one of honor and pride. Most importantly, the sense of community in the South has created a unique region that has not been replicated, based on the travels of my new friend, Adrian Harper. To gain a deeper understanding of the culture in the South, I need look no further than across the table at lunch to receive first-hand accounts that explicitly articulate the uniqueness of the region. My history lesson was portrayed through the life of Adrian. Listening to the stories of his life was pure music to my ears that gave me a confirmation of why I am raising my own children in the South.

Blue Ridge Mountains

Adrian was born and raised in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. As he recounted stories of his life, I got an entirely new perspective of life in a community. After serving in the United States Navy for twenty years, it was the purity of the people that called Adrian back to the American South. He and his wife, Odessa, chose to spend their retirement years in North Carolina. The South is saturated with small towns and neighborhoods that emulate the stereotypical idea of a close-knit culture. The pride of being a Southerner is a unique trait, and the melody of his words filled my heart like the sugar in sweet tea. Adrian explained that “with people in the South, they’ll tell you what they think to your face, but in the North and the West, they will be all smiles until you turn your back” At first I took offense, until I realized that he wasn’t putting down my Northern heritage, but rather attempting to educate me on his love for the Southern culture and a love for the sense of community.

Emancipation Proclamation

The sense of community is shown in large gatherings and intimate family affairs. It is a sense of oneness that radiates through the entire Southern region. When Adrian told me the story of his great grandfather becoming a free man after the Emancipation Proclamation, the fact that he took on his master’s name and remained employed by him was a great example of the sense of oneness and unity in this culture. Adrian did not speak with any negativity or animosity when recounting the events of his past. Instead, he tenderly shared information with dignity, in spite of the hardships created by slavery and segregation. I recognized his optimistic attitude as another illustration of a Southern gentleman.

In the foothills of North Carolina where Adrian and Odessa grew up, a certain tone was used in rearing children. The idea of “it takes a village to raise a child” could have been the motto in Southern neighborhoods, as the people easily bonded in a unique manner. Adrian illustrated this by saying, “It didn’t matter whose parents caught you doing something wrong. They would take it upon themselves to grab a switch and teach you a lesson.” This same principle held true with mealtime for when food was on the table; whoever was around was welcome to eat. Hospitality of the South was exactly as portrayed in the saying “Come a stranger, leave as family.”

The best cooks include a little fatback
to add flavor.

In the South Sundays were special days for social and family gatherings. After attending church services, people would congregate on the lawn and make plans for afternoon activities. Adrian explained that church members took turns hosting the pastor and his wife for Sunday dinner. Delicious fried food is a staple in Southern gatherings. In the North, much cooking is done with vegetable oil, but in the South food is fried in “fatback.” My Northern roots left me stunned as Odessa explained that “fatback” gives the food its flavor. She said, “I loved just frying it up until it was crispy.” Although the Southern tradition of frying “fatback” until it was crispy may sound foreign to some Northerners, it was not foreign to me. During my father’s childhood, he would fry the fat from bacon, sop the grease up with a slice of Wonder Bread, and fry the bread until it was crispy. Some styles of preparing and eating food overlap from region to region. However, when gathering together to eat a meal, one must be in the South if livermush, black-eyed peas, cornbread, and fatback-fried chicken are the main entrees.

Meals are more than eating food in the South. Meals are opportunities for deeper lessons about life. The Southern culture holds respect in highest regard. The concept of respect is more significant that “yes, sir” and ‘no, ma’am.” Respect is preached to children from birth and children are taught to respect one another. Adrian told me of the times when the pastor and his wife came to Sunday dinner. The children were expected to show respect toward the adults and the parents showed respect toward the children. Adrian’s father expected the children to eat what was prepared for their guests. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the President of the United States at the table; my children will eat at the table next to him,” explained Adrian. This example illustrates a beautiful sense of honor that his father had for his children. This story emphasized both the idea of respect and equality for all people. Possibly, this concept dates back to the freedom of slaves in the South, as Adrian mentioned, several times, the idea of separate, but equal. The people of the South have been deeply affected by this concept. It is as if a slow, melodic rhythm beats within their soul and perpetuates the values of each person rooted in the South.

Respect, equality, and a close sense of community truly portray the special qualities of Southern culture that remains alive today. The deep historical roots of the region have created an area of the United States that deserves to hear songs of praise. Whether it is clans of neighbors who watch out for one another or folks gathered around the Sunday table, the people of the South have formed a culture of purity and unconditional support for one another that can be recognized throughout the world. I am honored to raise my children as true Southern people.

Works Cited

Harper, Adrian. Personal interview. 1 Feb. 2013.

Harper, Odessa. Personal interview. 1 Feb. 2013.



Note: Mary Lamb, who grew up in Michigan within French-Canadian and Polish cultural connections, is pursuing a nursing degree at Sandhills Community College.

The Acadian-Cajun Connection

by Norman Leger

On a sunny spring day at Fort Bragg, NC, I walked over to the supply office to procure new parts for the radio I was recently forcefully assigned. I met Private First Class Boudreaux, and for the first time in 2 years of southern residence, someone pronounced my name correctly. I stared in shock, and I asked him how he knew how to say my name. His response -- that lots of people in Louisiana are named Leger -- carried me on a search through my family’s history to understand why.

As early as 1605 the first Acadians came to North America. Though it is now Canada, no distinction was made at the time. Food was plentiful and friendships were made between the natives and the maritime (Acadian) French settlers. For over 80 years Acadians enjoyed a relatively quiet life in the new world. During the French and Indian War, over 11,000 Acadians were removed from their land and forced south. A large number of these Acadians started a new life in Louisiana -- they are known as the Cajuns. William Bethea, my neighbor and friend who grew up in the heart of Cajun country, helped me to understand the cultural similarities and differences between the separated families of Acadians and Cajuns.

Many factors of Acadian culture stood the test of time and remain integral parts of Cajun culture. From William’s testimony I learned that the Catholic Church remains the epicenter of Cajun culture. In fact, the jurisdictions (known in most states as counties) of Louisiana are called parishes due to the strong Catholic influence. Attending mass (church) on Sunday when I was young was required. I also attended Catholic school until the sixth grade. Until the early 1900s, Cajun children spoke a variation of Acadian French. However, the Compulsory Education Act forced Cajun children to attend school and learn to speak English. For example, my grandfather was taught English in grade school. Prior to school, Acadian French was the only spoken language in his home. In Cajun culture, family elders are revered and respected. The same is true with my family. My grandfather’s word was law. No decisions were made in my family without concern for how he felt.

Some aspects of Cajun culture did change. These changes can be seen through food and music. Large amounts of spices are added to Cajun meals along with regionally grown meats and vegetables. William invited me to eat some gumbo he made. When he handed me a bowl, all I could focus on was the green chunks of foreign substance at the surface. The green stuff turned out to be okra. After overcoming the visual shock of the dish, I found it quite delicious. The styles of dishes served in Louisiana hold a stark contrast to the dishes served in Acadian Canada where most meals are very bland. With music, the introduction of the accordion excelled Cajun music into its own form. By placing the accordion as the central instrument, zydeco (Cajun) music separated from its northern Acadian roots.

Much of the Acadian-Cajun cultural background stood fast when confronted with separation and time. The items that did change seem to be associated with the Cajun’s new surroundings after the Great Expulsion. The culture insights of William Bethea, my friend, and his childhood surrounded by Cajun culture have helped me learn more about the rich cultural heritage of the American South.

Work Cited

Bethea, William. Personal interview. 6 Feb. 2012.

Note: Norman Leger is pursuing an associate in scirence degree at Sandhills Community College. Although he lives now in Raeford, NC, he grew up in Massachusetts with cultural influences of Acadian French ancestors.

Good Ol’ Days

By Darlene Brown

Some may say growing up in the Sandhills area of Scotland County was a simple and uncomplicated way of life. Compared to the affairs of the world today, it may seem as such. Although families did not worry about home invasions or gang-like violence, the way of life for those who experienced it was all but simple. Growing up in a family of sharecroppers, country living was definitely not a life of luxury but a complicated life of hard work, necessity and family bonding. A close family friend, who experienced the life of working on a farm during the “good ol’ days,” revealed to me a real-life account of the tedious routines of growing up in the Sandhills of Scotland County.

My interviewee, whom we will call Mrs. H., told of her personal experiences living on a farm. Mrs. H. said she did not go to school because school was not a high priority. She recalls that at the age of nine her typical day was to get up at sunrise and go outside to the water pump; she would wash up with lye soap in cold water. Then she would carry water into the house for her younger siblings to wash their faces. She would next start the wood-burning stove to cook breakfast for her siblings because her parents had already gone to the tobacco fields where they made a living for the family as sharecroppers. Mrs. H. was so small that she had to stand on a soapbox to reach the top of the wood stove. She would prepare a breakfast that consisted of homemade biscuits, fatback meat, and syrup. Unfortunately, the fire would go out in the process of cooking; therefore, she would have to walk barefoot into the woods, chop, gather, and haul wood back home to keep the fire burning.

After getting her siblings washed and fed, it was time for her many chores. Mrs. H. said she had to “shoo” the chickens from under the porch of the house, which was a difficult task because the dilapidated porch, which had holes and cracks, allowed the chickens to see her coming, and they would run farther and farther underneath the porch and house. After that task was completed, she pumped water for the mules, fed the horses, milked the cows, and slopped the pigs. Next was the task of washing clothes; she drew water from the hand pump and collected it in a large tin tub. Lye soap was served for multiple uses of washing the body as well as the laundry. A washboard was used to scrub the clothes clean. After cleaning the clothes, they were drooped across the bushes in the yard to dry and watched carefully by the younger ones to keep the cows and mules from gnawing on the clothes.

Yet, the day’s work had just begun. Now she had to cater to her parents who were out in the tobacco field. She would wait for the iceman to come around and pay 25 cents for a chunk of ice, which she would wrap in a cotton sheet and chip using an ice pick. Then she would gather clean Mason jars, a bucket, and a ladle to carry the water and sandwiches to the field for her parents. She did this daily until her “time and age came around”; Mrs. H. was then taken to the field by her father and taught how to “suckle” tobacco — known today as topping, which is taking the flower tops off the tobacco stalks and clearing growth from around the roots of the plants.

During her childbearing years, Mrs. H. would carry her baby to the field in a crib, put the crib at the foot of her row under a big oak tree, and place a cotton mesh sheet over the crib to protect the baby from flies and mosquitoes. Then she would then go about her duty of “priming tobacco.” Along with working in the field, she also worked as a tobacco stringer and as a market preparer, which consisted of stringing tobacco leaves on sticks and hanging them in tin barn to be cooked.

Regardless of what Mrs. H. has been through or what has been taken from her, she still fines joy in giving someone a piece of her wisdom from her youthful years in the old South. She managed to survive on the food of her farm, which is actually healthier than the processed food we have today. She also made sure that her younger brothers and sisters went to school while she took care of the house when her parents were away in the fields. Mrs. H. also made sure that her parents had food ready after their long day of work. Her family benefited every day from her hard work.

Work Cited

McLaughlin, Hattie. Personal interview. 10 Sep. 2011.

Note: Darlene Brown, who is from Wagram, NC, is a student at Sandhills Community College in the medical office administration program.

Way Back When

by Declan Freswick

To learn about living in the past, talk to one of your grandfathers. I learned how much more difficult life was back in those times from Ashley Derrell Blackburn, my grandfather who was born on July 28, 1938 to a large family on a farm. The economic struggle of the present relate to the examples of life then.

Ashley Blackburn was born into a family with six brothers and two sisters. His family members were sharecroppers to their landlord. As the landlord furnished the land and fertilizer, his family tended the land, raised the crops, harvested them, and sold the crops. He explained, “The landlord would take about half the profit, most of the time he would screw us over, but that’s the way things go.” The tractors they had back then were actually mules and plows. The mules were named Red, Pea Wee, and Chim Charlie. He told me every day they worked in the fields from the earliest they could start until the sun went down, even during school days.

He explained a typical day as a child going to school. “We would walk half a mile to catch the bus.” After school was out, the children went straight home to work in the field. Going to school was valued during that time for many reasons. They were happy spending time in school rather than working hard in the field. Another reason schooling was valued was only families of the wealthy had the chance to be educated. This made me cherish the fact it is so easy for me to further my education.

Delicious meals were also valued in that time. “I loved when we got the chance to eat some good fried chicken,” my grandfather replied when asked about his favorite meal as a child. A dish like that was prepared only once a month due to the shortage of income. He told me that the majority of the meals were fish because of how cheap it was. A lot of my knowledge of cooking has come from my grandfather over time. During the interview, I started imagining the times when I was with him in the kitchen standing on a step stool, or sometimes a chair, trying to learn how to cook.

I proceeded to talk about my last topic, which was the evolution of the construction business. He started in the business when he was only twelve years old. His father bought a motor grader, a large machine used to level loose land, and he learned to operate it shortly after. “Well, it started with a mule, then a tractor, then the motor grader. Now there’s lots of different equipment they use.” He explained when asked how the equipment has changed over time. He started in construction as a laborer. He called that job a “ditch digger,” referring to the amount of time he would spend with a shovel in hand. After about thirty years of hard labor, he retired as vice president of Wellons Construction Company.

One can absorb a lot of information about the past easily by listening to someone who has lived it. This information is not only entertaining, but it is knowledgeable as well. From this interview, I started to value my life a lot more from realizing how much easier it is now than of the past. I hope this story has the same effect to others who read it.

Work Cited

Blackburn, Ashley Derrell. Personal interview. 1 Feb. 2011.

Note: Declan Freswick, who graduated from St. Pauls High School in Robeson County in 2010, is majoring in turfgrass management at Sandhills Community College.

Back in the South

by Ashley Smith

Was education important in the 1930s? Was experience needed in order to work? What was done for entertainment? Education was not important to some people because it was easier to get a job than go to school. Betty “Retha” Purcell, my grandma, was born in Hoke County, North Carolina, in 1929. She moved to Queens, New York when she was a teenager. Her North Carolina house was built by her cousins. My grandma sang on the “Loving Sisters” for decades at her church. However, she picked cotton as well as tobacco to earn some money. In addition, Betty used to be a slave in her hometown. Although sixty-one years have passed since my grandma was my age, we both enjoyed school, work, and entertainment.

Education was easier in the thirties than today because now a person needs a degree and experience in order to work. My grandma always told me, “I thought I was hurting somebody else for not going to school, but I was hurting myself.” Betty loves cooking and sewing classes while attending Upchurch High School which is now Upchurch Elementary School. In addition, she attended school for nine years. She did not always have the money to purchase books. In 1932, high school kids were allowed to ride the school bus while the elementary school kids walk to school. In this case, my grandma would walk two miles even through the snow; thereafter, the teachers would soak the children feet in freezing, ice cold water for no apparent reason. Her school experiences is illustrated in this view of Martin Luther King, Jr.: “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”

Black folks worked in the cotton fields since they were eight years old; now they have machines to pick the cotton. My grandma worked at The Quartermaster Laundry at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, for the soldiers. For example, she would wash, dry, and iron their clothes and pick up their laundry on a regular basis. A couple of years later, Betty worked at Burlington Factory in Hoke County to support her family; meanwhile, she got pregnant with her first daughter, Malinee Lynn Purcell Leigh and left Burlington. In fact, money was very important to my grandmother since she took care of and raised some of her cousins and siblings. Betty’s coworkers and bosses treated everybody equally. My grandma used to raise cows, hogs, chickens, horses, and sheep while she worked on a farm with a Caucasian family.

Hide and seek as well as hopscotch were popular games that are still played today. My grandma enjoyed working because everybody treated each other equally and fairly; therefore, there was no sort of racism or stereotypes. She always played with her cousins. In addition, kids were allowed to go outside and play anytime unless they were not finished with their homework and chores. Betty Purcell never listened to the radio like she does today because she enjoyed working instead of dancing and singing to the radio. Cooking and cleaning were my grandma’s top priorities. By the time I was a teenager, my grandma taught me how to cook some of her favorite homemade recipes. For example, collard greens, beef liver, and candied yams; however, I made my own collards greens recipe, although I’m influenced by her techniques.

I have learned that back then people could leave doors unlocked and open because no crime took place like today. Also, they had a store -- “The Penny Store” -- where everything cost one cent; therefore, you could buy a bar of candy for only one cent. Gas used to cost one dollar per gallon. My grandma learned that everything now is way more expensive than during her time. Even though society has changed, people still have to sacrifice in order to go to school, prosper at work, and enjoy entertainment. As Albert Einstein expressed about relating to different times, “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”

Works Cited

"Albert Einstein." BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2011. 7 Feb. 2011.

"Martin Luther King, Jr." BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2011. 7 Feb. 2011.

Purcell, Betty. Personal interview. 23 Jan. 2011



Note: Ashley Smith, who is from Raeford, NC, is majoring in nursing at Sandhills Community College.

Hot Fudge Experience

by Biminii (B.J.) Heard

A wise man once said, “If you don’t know where you came from, you can never understand where you are going.” With this in mind, the interview of one of my grandmother’s younger sisters became even more meaningful. When I asked my great aunt, Emma Gillis (also known as Fudge), about the period of history best described as the Civil Rights Movement, I learned about differences in today’s society as compared to when she grew up: her memories concerning the Civil Rights Movement as well as differences in politics, world views, and family traditions.

Auntie Fudge, when asked if she seen a major difference in today’s society compared to when she was an adolescent, replied, “There is a whole heap of difference in today’s society compared to my younger days. For one we have a black president. We still see racism, but not nearly as much or as bad as when I was a young lady. I recall babysitting for a young white couple’s five-year-old son who actually called her the N-word. In my day whites and blacks didn’t live in the same neighborhoods under any circumstances.”

I asked Fudge about the Civil Rights Movement and her activity involving the movement, and her response was, “I definitely backed them in what they did with the sit-ins, the marches, and the soapbox speeches on the corners and supermarkets. I personally did not march or anything like that because I worked for and with whites. I wanted to save money so I could move away and had no idea how my boss and co-workers would react, but I do regret that I didn’t because my siblings were actively part of the movement.”

My next question was, what was the most memorable moment in civil rights history from your experience? She replied, “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., being on the radio, speaking of racial equity and unification, was the most memorable moment for me. Then one day I heard on the same radio about the good doctor’s assassination; my stomach immediately dropped like a stone in a lake. I was at work around the same people that I felt wouldn’t understand my wanting to march for my people’s equal treatment.”

To the question of whether she can see a major difference in family values and traditions now in comparison to when she was growing up, “Yes, of course I do. Boy, what are you talking about? We had regular family reunions every other year, and y’all haven’t carried that on at all. We had big reunions where every branch of the tree was represented. Even add-ons, like if a member of our family got married, their household came and their in-laws would also attend, and this was so with everyone considered part of this family.”

Do you think that people today are more deeply rooted in traditions versus generations ago? “Nah,” my great aunt said laughing, “When we were coming up, we did everything together. I mean every detail of everyday was a family event. By my father being a minister, it was days and nights that we were the only ones at church preparing for the next service or just receiving the word itself. I even remember growing up and praying before opening Christmas presents. How’s that for traditions that you all don’t do?”

When asked about the differences between foods and the methods in which they were cooked and prepared, her response was, “Yes, there is a big difference between foods today because my father slaughtered our cows, chickens, and pigs. We caught our own fish in our lake on our property. We grew vegetables and fruits without pesticides, no hormones, all natural homegrown. We pickled a lot of our foods to preserve them. Cooking methods were different as well. We used an old cast-iron potbelly stove that my brothers had to chop wood for us to heat it with, no just walking in the kitchen when you’re hungry and whipping something up; we had to prepare ahead of time.”

Doing this assignment has reminded me of something I hadn’t thought of since my grandmother’s passing, the fact that we were from different worlds even though I am her descendent, lion of her lions, offspring of her offspring. I learned things about my great aunt that my thirty years on earth hadn’t taught me. Aunt Emma Gillis was a great candidate for my interview because her experience is priceless. She agreed to this interview only under one condition; it was, “I hope that me answering these questions can help you get a good mark on this paper.”

Work Cited

Gillis, Emma. Personal interview. 12 Sept. 2010.

Note: B.J. Heard lives in Southern Pines, NC, and is majoring in business administration at Sandshills Community College.