Ever wonder why men all over the world jump up to do a Southern woman's bidding? Ronda Rich shares the secrets that girls south of the Mason-Dixon learn at their mother's knee. How can you spot a Southern woman in a crowd in New York City? Rich:
Easy.
She's wearing colorful clothing amidst a sea of black! What
makes a Southern woman irresistible to men? Rich:
To
men outside of the South, it's the accent mingled with the femininity.
To Southern men, it's the femininity and oozing charm. Your first career as a sportswriter is untraditional. How did you use your skills as a Southern woman to cover sports? Rich:
I clung tenaciously to my femininity, although it was not a
popular thing to do. Fellow sportswriters thought I should
be less "glamorous." However, that femininity attracted
attention from the athletes and coaches. It enabled me to stand out in
the crowd and, therefore, I was able to secure more interviews and
better quotes. Men traditionally abhor being rude to ladies. It goes against their natural grain. How
is Southern humor a survival skill? Rich:
Laughter
renews our spirit and tears away layers of oppression that drag us down.
Southerners have the delightful ability to laugh at ourselves and to
overcome adversity by finding humor in the darkest of situations. What
it boils down to is that our humor in the South is the backbone of our
incredible strength. How
do Southern women get revenge on those who have done them wrong? Rich:
Very
carefully and patiently. We know that what goes around, comes around and
that eventually we'll have the perfect opportunity to extract our pound
of flesh. Without fail, those who do us wrong, eventually want or need
something from us very badly. I have still have a couple of wrongs to
right and if it takes years, I will do it when the perfect time arrives.
Meanwhile, I never think about it because they're both tucked carefully
and securely in the back of my mind. How
do Southern wives keep their men happy and in line? Rich:
Southern
women are very dedicated to the art of traditional homemaking, but not
at the sacrifice of careers. Still, we flaunt beautiful lingerie and we
care deeply about how we look, even long after we marry. Southern women
are incredible in their dedication to looking good for their men. We also spoil those men rotten! And we never
consider it to be demeaning, just a delightful part of our personal
lives. Of course, we demand the same in return! What
makes the manner of how Southern women flirt unique? Rich:
The
warmth of our charm. It is obvious that it's genuine and comes from the
heart. It makes Southern women irresistible! What
makes a Southern woman's home warm and welcoming? Rich:
The
attention we put into tiny details like scented room sprays, flowers,
candles, a roaring fire. How
does a Southern woman handle the end of a relationship? Rich:
Without
malice and bitterness. We learn our lessons and move on. Our favorite
form of revenge over the men who have not adequately appreciated us, is
to spend our lives making them pea green with envy over the fact they
lost us. We keep ourselves looking gorgeous and work hard to create
successful lives for ourselves. And because we never bad mouthed them
and walked away with grace, those men
always carry a degree of love for us. What
inspired this very educational manual, and what are you working on now? Rich:
My agent asked me to write it. He's from New York and he found
himself completely fascinated by Southern women. He said, "I
realized that whenever I was around Southern women that they made me
feel good about myself." so, he thought if I could find a way to
package it and sell it that people would be interested. So far, it has
worked too. We're close to a fourth printing on the book and Doubleday
recently bought it for their book of the month club. As for what's next, we'll have to see. I'm working on a couple of things --- all with Southern-based themes, of course. It is a really exciting time for me. E-mail Ronda Rich at southswomen@bellsouth.net
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