i'm disappointed .

So as ridiculous as college acb is, I went on there the other day and just sorta browsed around, wasting some time. Everyone says don't take things on there seriously. And to some extent, I completely agree. But there are some things said on there that people truly believe. For example, I've realized in my time down here that the North-South debate very much still exists.


It's unfortunate, because where I live, the South has a good reputation for being the nicest place around, both in attitude and in weather.

Now before the southerners who read this jump all over me, let me clear some things up. I come from a place where people don't care about what you do. They don't stop just to chat with random people. And you don't say hello unless you need to. People everywhere do their own thing, and there is very much a personal bubble that is meant not to be broken. We drive aggressively, and the horn is definitely used at least once a day, to tell some idiot he/she is a terrible driver.

I'm straight with that, but a lot of people find it overwhelming and kinda like we have an attitude. I won't disagree. However, it was never my intent to come to the South to "invade someone's turf" or just to bring my complete douchebaggy attitude with me. That was never the intent, and never will be, at least for me.

You can say Southerners are nice all you want -- and to some extent you're right. In my personal experience, it exists more not in the young generation, but in the old. I do my best to be polite, and usually ask people at least how they're doing, if only hoping for a couple-word response. But hey, I'm making an attempt right? But the truth of the matter is, at least at Clemson, it's very clear that people from anywhere other than the South, and particularly the Northeast, are looked down upon. So lemme say something that will definitely reveal my douchebaggery, if that's what you wanna call it:

I don't care about how much land your daddy owns. I don't care about what your pedigree is. You should earn your own name. I don't care how long your family has been in the south. And I certainly don't care if you think I'm a GDI or something stupid like that. You can keep your fraternities, your love for retarted-looking clothing, and your need to proclaim your greatness by simply saying that "we're better because we are." I don't care, bro. And yeah, I'm from Jersey. You can say it's guidos all you want, and you can call me a guido -- but the fact of the matter is, you don't know me, and you don't know where I came from. I don't go home to Mommy every weekend, and football is certainly not my life.

Phew, that was hostile. I'm just want to be very clear -- people were not how I imagine they would be down here. That's not to say I haven't encountered nice people. I have a lot of friends who are relatively local who are great, and the truth is it's those people who will read this, not the other guys who are dumb. There are people everywhere who think they are better than everyone else. But I feel like where I live, it's not as self-proclaimed. You can see it in a person's eyes, in the way they walk. Well buddy, news flash. I'm gonna stick to my flamboyant skinny jeans, ratty hoodies, and flat brims. I'm straight with who I am.

I didn't come down here for the weather, and I didn't come here just for the name. And I certainly didn't come to assimilate and change me into something that I'm not. We're at college, and seriously, we can just deal with each other. You don't have to give me dirty looks, or weird looks. None of that crap. I'm sick of it. There's a reason there's hostility between the north and south, and I'm gonna tell you, it's not because of us. We keep to ourselves for a reason -- because up where I live, every person is weird, but you just mind your own business there.

-sigh- Okay. Deep breath. I just had to get all that out. It's amazing that all of this has sorta arisen from only the past 2 years I've been here at school. And like I said, most of the people I meet are real nice, especially from the older generation. But for now man, I'm ready for a break. Give me back my aggressive drivers, my horns, and ridiculously crowded streets. That is most definitely my kind of home.

Lyric of the day:
"things are not what they seem, as we stand at the edge of the world"