- Jun 12, 2014
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Founding Member
Florida is still in the South, but it is infected in several areas with pockets of non-southerners. It used to be that Miami and Orlando first came to mind, but I’m not so sure that Tallahassee hasn’t become the poster child for this movement away from Southern life. I think a lot of the panhandle is still “Southern,” though it has changed quite a bit in my lifetime. Gainesville was a neat old place when agriculture and UF’s contributions were riding high, but great goodness it has changed. I believe many of the agricultural/rural pockets are still very Southern.
I suppose there should be an agreed upon definition of “Southern” if we are to accurately determine what parts of the state are or aren’t. I don’t know that you’ll find my considerations in any dictionaries, but from family and those I grew up around, “Southern” meant believing in the love and importance of God, family, and good friends, being willing to work hard for what you needed, treating others the way you wanted to be treated, taking pride in your community, and to live and let live, but standing up for your beliefs. I’m not sure there is as much of this throughout our state as there once was, but I believe that we’ll one day have a return to these ideals. We may have fight for it, but I think it is a worthwhile fight.
