1. Music: The South has it going on in the music world. Memphis alone claims both Elvis and Justin Timberlake. Bluegrass, rock ‘n roll, R&B, country, funk and soul music are all deeply rooted in Southern culture. Also Free Bird. You’re welcome, world. #FreeBird4Life

2. Comfort Food: Here in the South, we take our tea one way – cold and sweet. Everything is better fried and anything could always use a little more butter. Think about it – cheese grits, cornbread, buttermilk pie, collard greens, gravy, fried chicken, barbecue, gumbo. I could go on, but your stomach is probably growling already.

3. Southern Accents: A Southern drawl infused with just the right amount of colloquialism and even a little questionable grammar is downright charming. Not to mention that “y’all” is clearly the most logical way to address the second person plural. Come on citizens of the world, get with the program.

4. Hospitality: In the South, we take the time to ask each other how we’re doing and then genuinely care about the response. Chivalry is not dead here, where most are taught to say their pleases and thank yous and hold doors open for others. Stopping to smell the roses or chat with folks about nothing in particular is not a waste of time – it is a treasured ritual.

5. Combatting our image: In the past few decades, the South has really been trying to put its racist, redneck reputation behind it. Urban areas of the progressive South have renounced their Confederate flags and are in the process of modernizing their fundamental values. Cities like Memphis, Birmingham, and Atlanta have tried to embrace their historic struggles with civil rights by educating citizens and tourists alike about race relations in the South. Every day, a recovering South strives to learn from its mistakes and share its insight with others.

5 things the South is doing wrong

1. Comfort Food: While it may be delicious, perhaps fried foods swimming in gravy might be why the South has such a high percentage of adult obesity. According to the CDC, in 2012 Tennessee had a 31.1% rate of adult obesity, only slightly better than Alabama’s 33% or Louisiana’s 34.7%. So maybe we should lay off the hush puppies and fried okra for a while? Just for the sake of our poor arteries.

2. Southern Pride: Unfortunately, with our personable Southern natures come a potentially dangerous level of pride. Our so-called culture of honor has made Southerners easily susceptible to personal offense. Delicate egos can lead to conflicts and grudges that span generations – like the infamous Hatfield and McCoy feud. In the South, you should know better than to insult someone’s mother.

3. Winter: “A LIGHT WINTRY MIX IS UPON US. THE END IS NIGH. HOW DO YOU EVEN DRIVE ON ICE? IT’S 42 DEGREES AND I THINK I HAVE FROSTBITE. I MAYBE JUST SAW THREE SNOWFLAKES; IS SCHOOL CANCELLED?” said every Southerner ever. Cold weather is not exactly our cup of tea.

4. The Bible Belt: Bible Belters’ theology is not necessarily wrong, as religion is entirely subjective and unique to each individual. That being said, our stereotypical fire-and-brimstone, salvation-enthused evangelical Christian reputation often paints the South in a bad light. We seem conservative to the point of intolerance when in fact there is a wealth of religious diversity to be found in the southern states.

5. Civil War Grudges: Really y’all, it’s been 157 years. We didn’t win; it’s ok. Probably for the best, actually. There’s no point in rehashing every battle, flying the Confederate flag and referring to Northerners as “those damn yankees.” Also, please stop trying to make “War of Northern Aggression” happen. It’s called the Civil War. Accept it and move on.