Living in Yankee Land

Miss Grimke gets Drew to talk about culture shock.

Miss Grimke: Here's one for you: lunch or dinner? dinner or supper?

DGF: O Lord that takes me back! I remember when I first came up north, to go to that girls' school, I got my feelings hurt so bad, and it was all a misunderstanding! I was embarrassed to death!

Miss Grimke: Oh dear, do tell!

DGF: I was trying to be friendly, about a week after we moved in I said to this girl on the hall I'd been chatting with,"Why don't we go to dinner together?" It was about 11:45 and I knew the dining hall opened around noon. She pulled this long face and said, "Oh I really need to do some reading I've been putting off." I thought that sounded a little strange, but I said okay and went off to eat by myself. Then, here I am standing in line with my green plastic tray and she shows up at the end of the line laughing with a bunch of other girls! I couldn't believe it! She had brushed me off and then didn't have the decency to stay out of the dining room! I tried not to let her see I saw her, but when I sat down all by my lonesome with my food, she came up with her friends and asked to join me! I thought what nerve! When I could stand it no longer I asked her, "What about all that reading you have to do?" And she said, "Oh don't remind me. I'm going to have to skip dinner and eat a peanut butter sandwich to get it all done." She thought I was inviting her to join me for an evening meal. A rather strange thing to do in the middle of the day unless you're asking for a date!

Miss Grimke: Did you ever live it down?

DGF: We got to be pretty good friends so I told her a few weeks later and we all had a good laugh.

Miss Grimke: You have to laugh.

DGF: Ain't that the truth!