Southern Thoughts

Last weekend I made my third and probably final visit to Nashville. For the last four years my brother has been a medical student at Vanderbilt and with his graduation so end my treks to Tennessee. Nashville is unmistakably Southern, the waitresses call you honey, at the Waffle House you're asked if you want grits, the men wear hats, the ladies dresses, I've been called ma'am. Unlike most of the country the south still dresses for dinner, or lunch or other occasions. At the Steeplechase luckily I brought a sun dress and a hat because all the women were in dresses and most had a fancy hat. I ended up wearing the same dress all three days I was there because I hadn't brought anything else appropriate for going out to dinner (who knew?). This time I was well prepared for graduation with a dress and very nice skirt. It's nice to see people put on good clothes, it shows a certain respect for a special occasion or a night out. Another thing I like about the South, the people are nice there. They take time to talk to you and want to make you happy. There was a guy at the hotel whose job was solely to provide whatever the guests needed - a map of campus, a carafe of hot water for tea; the waiter at dinner offered to bring us a salad instead of us having to wait in line at the crowded salad bar.
But perhaps my favorite thing about Nashville in the spring is the infinite shades of green. The thick deciduous forests leafed out in all their glory, grass sprouting from every chink in the wall or crack in the walk. The houses are surrounded by green grass, bushes, trees, gardens. The lush lawn of the Parthenon so inviting a place to spend an afternoon. Even the MD hoods at Vanderbilt's graduation were fringed with green, one last reminder of the beauty of the place.