Southern Hospitality
It could be a friendly wave from a stranger; Or
A "How are you doing?" from across the parking lot.
At other times, just the simple words of, "Follow me".
Northern Mississippi is where I was born and raised.
It's where I was well taught about how to behave.
After 17 years, having finished high school, I migrated North
From the delta cotton fields of Mississippi to the asphalt jungle
of Chicago and onward North to the dairy land of Wisconsin.
I was trained to be a pastor in Chicago and appointed to be head
master of a small Christian school in Southern Wisconsin,
but I was taught "HOSPITALITY" in the magnolia state.
In a grocery store parking lot, I heard a voice saying, "How are
you doing?" The voice was too far away for me to think that it was
directed at me. But as I looked across the way, I discovered indeed,
the gentleman was speaking to me.
In search of a popular grocery store in Greenwood, I asked
for directions from a local motorist. She simply said, "Follow me".
On another occasion, in search of the DMV in Greenwood, I
sought directions and he also said, "Follow me". In Yazoo City,
I sought directions to the power company, and the motorist
like his fellow Mississippians also said, "Follow me".
The prior 50 plus years I spent in Illinois, Wisconsin, and California
taught me a myriad of treasured lessons, but I learned about real
down home HOSPITALITY in Mississippi.
Copyright ©
Curtis Johnson
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