“Northerners”

Chris and I got separated on our connecting flight to Salt Lake City this evening, as he got the last seat in First Class. So I sat next to a woman who is the president of the American Paint Horse Association, born and raised in a suburb outside of Tennessee. She and her husband live on a farm, breed horses, and are obsessed with corgi dogs. She showed me her endless photos of her friend breeding corgi dogs and told me a thing or two about American paint horses, which I knew nada about. She asked me if Chris and I were a couple, and I said we just got married this past March.

“Can I ask you something since you’re a Northerner?” she asked me in her strong Southern accent. I had a feeling this wasn’t going to be a great question, but I answered affirmatively. “Down here in the South, we have strong family values. So when we say ‘I do,’ we mean it forever, until the end. Up in the North, is that what you believe, or do you just think, ‘I do until something bad happens and I can’t take it anymore?'”

I explained to her that everyone was different, that we couldn’t categorize people in the North thinking “until the next bad thing happens” vs. “until death do us part,” but for the two of us, we were in it for the long haul (at least, I think we are).

“Well, that is lovely!” she exclaimed, smiling warmly. I really don’t think she meant any offense by it. She probably hasn’t spent much time interacting with us folk “in the North.” She proceeded to ask me how old I was. I told her I was 30, and she responded, “Wow, so you would have been working for eight years until getting married!”

I paused for a second. “Well, I’m actually still going to continue working. I haven’t quit my job… and I don’t plan to just because I’m married,” I said to her, looking her firmly in the eye.

“You will still continue working?” she said in amazement. “Wow, times have really changed since I got married!”

Yes, they certainly have… at least, for some of us.

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