Can You Hear This?

While Scarlett had all the county boys fluttering around her at the Twelve Oaks Bar-B-Q, the other Belles were put out. Why? Because she had the art of flirting “down pat”, as they say down south.

Flirting is a way of life in the south. Men, women, and children are exposed to this ancient form of communication and know it the way they know that August is hot and muggy, it’s just the way it is.

I am an indiscriminate flirt. I flirt with men, women, children, young, old and everything in between. Oh no, I can hear the gasps of those I’ve shocked and offended as I write.

It’s is very important to understand that flirting, especially the southern version, is not necessarily sexual in nature.

While flirting can be used in a sexual way, to flirt with someone is to show them attention with affection. Not necessarily sexual affection, just affection. If you have ever seen a baby in a shopping cart and have taken time to talk, grin and wave to get the baby to laugh and/or grin back, where I come from that’s called flirting.

Southern flirting is like sincere flattery, it makes the recipient feel good. For a moment, that individual feels special in a way they didn’t feel a moment before. It’s a wonderful feeling to give and a wonderful feeling to receive.

With all the weirdness in the world today, it’s understandable that to some this sounds too overt and/or inappropriate. But rest assured, if you’re ever down South and find yourself on the receiving end of some warm southern flirtation, even if it’s from a complete stranger, you can be your boots you’ll feel like you’ve just been wrapped up in a warm blanket on a cool evening or settled down for a comfortable snooze in the porch swing.

The whole idea is to make someone feel appreciated for themselves. No matter who’s giving and who’s receiving, everybody goes away feeling a little lighter and brighter and, Lord knows, we can all use more of that!