Living in the South ~ Cajun Country ~ The People

Living in South Louisiana was quite an adventure. 
But an exciting and fulfilling one!

The Cajun people are warm and welcoming. I immediately felt at home, though I did have to get used to be called, Sugar or Honey. And then there was the touching and hugs and kisses (okay - air kisses). I wasn't used to that! You see I came from an area of the country (Colorado = cold and snow) where people didn't hug and kiss when they saw each other at the store. I guess it's kinda hard to get the full effect of a hug when you're bundled up in two or three layers of clothing. But I got used to it and now have come to expect it. I'm going to miss that familiarity. Maybe I can start a new trend back in Colorado. Or get arrested for assault!

The respect that Cajun children show their elders is something that is now lost in many other areas of the country. Children are taught from the time they can speak to call men Mister and women Miss (followed by the name of the person). I was always called Miss Jeanne. Doors were always held open for me. Made me feel like a Queen! I already miss this! I was raised to respect anyone older than me. To say Please and Thank You. To use Mister or Miss or Mrs. These things all seem to be lost in today's hurried world. Except in the Deep South. 

It was awhile before I could understand everything people were saying to me. I did a lot of smiling and nodding in the first few months. Not only is their accent heavy but French words are quite often thrown into a sentence. And then even those words aren't true French but a bastardized version of French - Cajun French. I seem to have picked up a bit of an accent from the time I spent there. Many people have come up to me and ask where I am from...that they just can't quite place my accent... I just smile at people when I'm ask this and say that I studied abroad....

The sense of Family is strong in the Cajun Culture. The families are large and quite often several generations will live within a few blocks or a few miles of each other. And even though they may argue and carry-on, they are always there for each other during troubled times. And this sense of Family even goes on to include those who aren't even blood relation. This was the first lesson The Universe wanted me to learn from living there.


The Cajun People also have Joie de Vivre. A Joy of Life. They celebrate everything!!! This Love of Life is ingrained in them. It is their heritage. All too frequently they must confront danger and disaster (tornadoes and hurricanes) so they make sure to enjoy the time they have. The Cajuns are a lively, happy people and when one is immersed in the culture like I was, you can't help but enjoy Life! This was the second lesson that I was to learn.


But there is a dark side to everything. Extremes can be seen in many aspects of Life in the South- From the (amount) food that is eaten to the liquor consumed. The division of social classes is still very evident. And people happily accept their 'place' in the social structure of their society. A great number of Cajuns living in rural areas have never been out of the town where they were born, raised, and currently live. And many have nothing more than an 8th grade education. Cajun French is still the only language spoken in many remote areas. And you still hear about people going missing in the swamp....