A Fine Southern Gentlemen

Happy New Year All! Sorry for the long hiatus but I have really been busy lately! Some good busy and some stressful busy but busy nonetheless! I hope everyone had an eventful new year! I definitely did! I took my “talents” to the ATL and had a great time. I am trying to figure out why I am not currently living there! It was just a really refreshing to spend time with so many like minded folks!

During my time there I was most impressed with a gentleman I met! And I do mean gentleman in every sense of the word. He was not necessarily trying to get on me nor was I on him but that didn’t stop me from liking what I was seeing. It was reassuring to discover that Southern Hospitality really does exist! All these years I thought it was just the title of a Ludacris track—and a straight up myth! But lo and behold there are actually still some great and genuine brothers out there, mostly congregating in the region where that noticeably sexy slow drawl is prevalent, and they call themselves southern gentlemen.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not ready to move south and scoop him up, I just like his style. In my last blog post, I wrote about the guy I’m currently seeing who also just so happens to be a southern gentleman that opens doors, makes you feel safe and secure, and knows how to court a woman but I met him under completely different circumstances—he was definitely trying to get at me! But, this guy, Mr. Southern Charm, he was thoughtful and considerate before he even laid eyes on me. He truly does nice things out of the goodness of his heart and it comes off so natural and sincere. He went out of his way to make sure that my girlfriend and I were comfortable and taken care of all weekend just because his best friend, who likes my girlfriend, asked him to.

On the night that we arrived, we went to a hotel room and waited for our fguy riend to get off work. Since my girl and I are out-of-towners, he asked Mr. Southern Charm to check on us and make sure we were straight and didn’t need anything. Not long after we got there, we heard a knock on the door and in comes Mr. Southern Charm with all our favorite beverages including champagne (Rosé of course), juice, water, and snacks. He apologized about not being able to stay long because he had somewhere to be but he still had a drink and conversed with us and asked us countless times if we needed anything at all. If one of us even tried to lift a finger, such as to get ice, he stopped us and said, “No, no, I got it. You just relax and enjoy yourself.” I thought he was sweet at that point but that was only just the beginning. He became our chauffeur for the weekend, never complaining once even though I came to find out he lived almost an hour away. The average guy does not go out of his way for women, especially ones he does not know.

The next day, at my sorority sister’s house, after we ate, he automatically helped clean up and took all of her trash out without anyone even thinking about it. I watched him go out of his way to carrying in all of our bags from car in the rain. He was my personal Fonzworth Bentley, holding an umbrella over my head and lifting me over puddles so my suede shoes didn’t get ruined. And the cherry on top of it all is that not only is he a gentleman but he is also learned, disciplined, and God-fearing. We had hours of stimulating conversation about everything from Apartheid to Zane novels. Being in his presence was just so…easy.

Who knew a friend of a friend of a friend would end up being the highlight of my trip!?! And like I said before, not because he was trying to get on me but because of the faith he restored in my when it comes to black men. Could it be true…there are good ones out there that know how to treat a lady whether or not they are trying to get in her pants??? Intelligent men with jobs, no kids, and spirituality are still available???? What!?! I’m shocked but pleasantly surprised! Now only if he didn’t live 700 miles away! Thank goodness I found a southern gentleman up North…now only if he didn’t live 2 hours away! Makes you begin to think there is something special in the water below the Mason-Dixon Line! Or maybe it is just a sign that I need to move in order to find true love! The things that make you go hmmm…

Thank you for taking this journey with me!

—The S.B.