Can You "Out-Nice" A Southerner

(I wrote this blog at the end of last week, but I wasn't happy with the ending until today.  The last incident happened today)

Sometimes you can, but it takes a lot of work to be successful at this.  I told you last year about the guy who offered me a ride one Sunday morning as he was driving into a parking lot that I was walking out of.  I have also written about the woman who I met in an elevator whose first words to me were, "would you like a tomato?" (she was holding two tomatoes in her hands)

Recently, I had too many boxes on my hand truck and a small box slid off onto the ground.  A person in front of me and one in back of me, both tried to pick up the box.  I thought they were going to have words with each other.  Yesterday, a security guard escorted me to the housekeeping department in a hotel and literally walked me all the way in.  Unfortunately, two large boxes of cups would not go in the door horizontally, so the guard picked each one up and handed them to me.  I guess it was all in a day's work for him.

One of the biggest challenges with how nice Southern people are is when you are both going into or out of an elevator, building or door.  They always motion for me to go and now I refuse to give in.  I motion to them to go and they do the same back to me.  However, I've found if I offer them a second chance to go, they all take it.  It just goes to show that being persistent is vital even when you're being nice.

The best example of this came this afternoon in a hospital.  I walked towards an elevator with an empty hand truck and an employee had already pressed the button.  I thanked him for getting the elevator for me and he laughed.  When the door opened he stepped back and motioned for me to go.  I said, "no that's okay, go ahead."  He repeated his previous statement and I repeated mine.  He wasn't budging so I got in the elevator.  When the door opened, we started again. However, I told him that I went first last time.  He gave in this time, reluctantly.  I said to him, "now we're even."

I told you that you can "out-nice" a Southerner, but it's hard work.  Sometimes, just telling someone about it can be exhausting.  I hope I don't meet him again at the elevator.