Do YOU know what southern hospitality is?

A Canadian friend, Lynn Quinlan, now residing in Mexico, asks this:

QUESTION:

I have a question for you two. Since you are American and I think that Frank has traveled all over the states promoting business in the Valley. Why is it that people that live in Texas are so friendly and people that live in the northern states are the rudest and pushy people that there are?

FRANK"S ANSWER:

In the broadest sense, there is a trait called Southern Hospitality, a sort of interstate mentality. Is it because we lost the Civil War?

Closer to home, Texas Friendly is a popular term that comes to mind. In the manner of modern-day researchers everywhere, I Googled the use.

[Here's a sampling of what came up]

a. "Texas Friendly Spoken Here” is a tourist slogan from 1988. It’s almost unknown outside of Texas.
b. Texas Friendly Spoken Here. Without customers, there are no jobs.
c. Make your mama proud! Get certified in Texas Friendly today.
d. Oncor Unveils Texas-friendly Web Site
e. Texas Friendly Flowers By Ki Gray and Dane Smith

And there are 6.6 million other Texas Friendly Google hits.

A not unrelated greeting is “Texas hidy,” as in A big Texas Hidy-Y’all from all of us at Leon’s.

Finally, there is the hi sign. Around Abilene, where I once lived, I began seeing my favorite Texas quirk, the silent wave of an index finger that passing motorists exchange after passing each other across miles of solitary highway. I call it the “traveling Texas hidy.”

Body language for “howdy,” the hi sign is the simplest of waves, merely the raising of the forefinger of the driving hand, which does not budge from its draped position across the top of the steering wheel.

*This blog was provided by Frank Birkhead, an esteemed(long-time)resident (and leader) in McAllen's community. (Nobody tells stories like Frank or has so many great memories of McAllen's evolving history!) If you'd like to ask him a question or would like to hear more about a certain aspect of McAllen, please email me @ jsimpson@mcallencvb.com, and we'll see what we can come up with! Keep checking back to see if you're answer has been posted! ;)