I am a huge fan of the southern United States. Its people, its culture along with a solid belief in God make it a natural choice for someone with my convictions. One of the problems I have faced after making the move here is what from my background would normally be considered rude behavior.
For example, I am waiting in a checkout line let's just say at Wal-Mart and I notice that suddenly the line is not moving. A customer is not only chatting with checkout clerk but hasn't even paid yet. Growing up in the North, I was always taught that you keep the line moving, don't stop and talk and remember that others are waiting behind you and might need to get somewhere important. Here in North Carolina there seems to be no thought about the person who is waiting in line behind you or at least it would appear that way to someone with my cultural background.
Another issue that I seem to find here is that people tend to block the aisle in grocery stores talking to other people. This used to really make my blood boil but now I usually just shake my head and find the next aisle. I could go on and on with other scenarios similar to these but I think you get the point.
I spoke to my wife about these issues as she is not only a native to NC but her family lived in the mountains for generations. Her take on this is that the people are not doing this on purpose but it is simply that they move at a slower pace and really don't understand people who are "in a hurry" to do much of anything. So it never really dawns on them that someone behind them might need to be somewhere.
In the end I probably would agree with this synopsis but in the back of my mind I still wonder: is it rude or is it right?
For example, I am waiting in a checkout line let's just say at Wal-Mart and I notice that suddenly the line is not moving. A customer is not only chatting with checkout clerk but hasn't even paid yet. Growing up in the North, I was always taught that you keep the line moving, don't stop and talk and remember that others are waiting behind you and might need to get somewhere important. Here in North Carolina there seems to be no thought about the person who is waiting in line behind you or at least it would appear that way to someone with my cultural background.
Another issue that I seem to find here is that people tend to block the aisle in grocery stores talking to other people. This used to really make my blood boil but now I usually just shake my head and find the next aisle. I could go on and on with other scenarios similar to these but I think you get the point.
I spoke to my wife about these issues as she is not only a native to NC but her family lived in the mountains for generations. Her take on this is that the people are not doing this on purpose but it is simply that they move at a slower pace and really don't understand people who are "in a hurry" to do much of anything. So it never really dawns on them that someone behind them might need to be somewhere.
In the end I probably would agree with this synopsis but in the back of my mind I still wonder: is it rude or is it right?
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