SOUTHERN GENTLEMEN

Because I wrote about the Southern Lady, I must write about the Southern Gentleman. Of course, Rhett Butler is the Southern Gentleman all Southern Ladies would like to have but since that is impossible (doggone it) we will discuss our men whom we love in the South.

There are many, many types of Southern Gentlemen so I have thought about those I admire the most – Roy, Daddy, my brothers, our son and all the men of Camden, AL who helped shape me into the lady that I am today. Mama and Daddy had many friends and many of the men were almost like daddies to me and were a huge part of my growing up. Each of these is unique but have several traits in common and these are what I want to talk about with you.

Beside every Southern Lady is a Southern Gentleman and notice I said beside not in front or behind. He is there to walk along with her and give her his support, strength and and companionship as they walk through life together. He will walk on the street side to protect her from traffic, hold her arm to assist her over bumps and hold her hand to show his love. As they walk the paths together he will often move closer so he is touching his lady with his shoulder for he wants to be near her and is not ashamed for others to see this love and affection. 

The Southern Gentleman in your life may not be a husband but can also be your daddy, a brother, uncle, cousin or friend. Whether the husband, relative, or friend, this man will walk beside a lady and take care of her.

Most Southern Gentlemen were raised by a good Southern Mama. She taught them manners, how to treat a lady, and how to be a good husband, father and friend. I often tell my young friends to watch how a man treats his mama and that is how he will treat you. If he loves and treats his mama with love and respect, he will treat you and other women the same way. She also taught him to love and worship God and most are to be found in church come Sunday morning.

Hard work and honesty is another trait of these fine men. No matter what the job or profession, they will give an honest day's labor for his pay. Whether it is farming, at a desk or playing football on a Sunday afternoon, they give it their best.

The Southern Gentleman knows how to dress. It may be a suit, jeans, khakis, or camo but it is clean, usually pressed and worn with dash and a touch of swagger. It is instinctive to them to assess the social setting and know when to wear the jeans and boots, the suit and tie, or the shorts and deck shoes and they will be the perfect partner for the Southern Lady for they want to compliment her beauty.

These wonderful men will look other men in the eye as they shake hands, open the doors for all ladies, say yes mam and no mam, stand when a lady enters the room, and make sure she has a chair to sit in. They are honest, pay their debts, and plan for the future of the family.

The best characteristic of all is that they respect their elders and will obey their parents and grandparents and do it with love. There is also no cussing or dirty jokes told in the presence of ladies.

What do I love most about Southern Gentlemen? They love their Southern Ladies and will respect and care for them till death parts them. They know how to show their love and are not ashamed to let the whole world know that this is their lady and they are proud of her.

Again, I could write a books about these wonderful men but will stop at this point and say........

Nuff said,

The Georgia Peach