Folks Down Here

...they are friendly-like. Really.

Last Sunday, I went to a Chamber Music concert with my husband, and we found ourselves seated behind Harriet Keyserling, a prominent local politician. A friend of hers and mine had given me Mrs. Keyserling's book "Against the Tide: One Woman's Political Struggle" to read recently. (She was a New York Jewish woman, educated at Barnard College in New York City, who moved to Beaufort, SC in the 1940's to be with her husband -- and this book is her story of how she got involved with local culture and later, in state politics, as a Democrat in a sea of Republicans.)

At my husband's urging, I leaned forward and tapped Mrs. Keyserling on the shoulder, introduced myself and told her how Ann had just given me the book and how I was just starting to read it and how much it resonated, as a transplanted New Yorker and political addict (and would-be activist). She said: "Well, after you finish it, why don't we have lunch?"

Now, can you imagine that happening in New York? If I tapped Betsy Gotbaum on the shoulder, would she invite me out to lunch? I think not. No comment about Betsy, just the culture in New York.

It's fun to live in a more connected community sometimes.

Here's another little anecdote: yesterday, I drove to the South Carolina Cider Company to buy some original Carolina tea for my mom and some Lowcountry goodies for mom and dad. As I was leaving, a police car had pulled a car over...right behind my car, which is a large SUV. (I used to be morally opposed to driving one of these things, but it really comes in handy when I have to drive across fields, which I do sometimes.)

Any way, I started backing up slowly. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that a man with a Caterpillar hat was approaching my car, and he proceeded to guide me out of the parking place. No one I knew, just a helpful Southern gentleman.

Sure is different down here...