What I love about the South

Let's talk about the South for a minute. First off it's the most polite place you've ever been (except for England). People here address everyone in a room when they walk in. People say hello to strangers on the street and offer help when your car is broken down or you've got a flat tire on your bike.

People in the South are also ambitious... there's a drive in the south. And while ambition is a human characteristic - something very American and human - the South's is unique. Even today, Southerners think that going in a new direction is possible. I sense that we're working on improving ourselves, making our cities better places to live and more attractive to visitors, and generally better off.

At a time when it feels like there's a lot of pessimism in the world, there's something optimistic about the south.

The phrase "the south will rise again" has some resonance with me now, and not in the way that you might associate. It's not that we'll rise up with arms (though recent events suggest that could happen) ... more so that we're going to rise up in Community and Drive. Atlanta, in particular, has a place in the world community that seems sort of special.

Reading a book right now called Tomlinson Hill that traces the Tomlinson family from days as Texas slaves and slave owners to a family united by a name and bridging their historical and miserable divide.

So what I'm saying is there's something happening in the South, and I like some things here.