Last Saturday night I attend the Heritage Debutante Ball. It was held at the Birmingham Country Club. My friend, Neily, was formally being introduced into society. Debutante Balls are common among wealthy and socially influential families in the south. Neily was invited to be a debutante at this particular ball. Some of the balls you can apply for, others you are asked and if you aren't asked you can't participate in them. The Heritage Ball only asks young women from old southern blood lines, hence the name "Heritage". The ball itself was beautiful. All the debutantes were dressed in long white gowns, similar to wedding dresses, and wore elbow length white gloves and pearls. They were escorted by their father or a close male family member. You weren't allowed to wear a white gown or any type of pastel color so that it wouldn't take away from the debutantes gown. I was able to choose between a floor length dress or cocktail dress in either black or jewel toned colors. I chose to wear a classic black cocktail dress. All the men wore tuxedos and it was split evenly between cocktail dresses and floor length gowns for the women. Most of the younger women wore cocktail dresses.
After everyone was presented they had a dance with their escort. It was a lot of fun to witness. The decor of the country club was timeless. White flower center pieces covered the tables and hung from the ceiling and chandeliers. White gauze draped across the tables and ceiling. The theme was very chic with an understated freshness about it. Candles burned in tall calibres and floated on top of water flower arrangements. There were tables to either side of the long runway where the debutante talked down that the family and friends could sit at. Each seat was designated for a specific guest. It was very formal and displayed a lot of old southern tradition.
After the presenting, the party began. There was a stage set up at the other end of the ball room with a huge dance floor. The band played for hours while everybody danced to song like Living on a Prayer and even Party in the USA. There was an open bar and buffet that was free to guests and members. I had a great time.
I had always wanted to be a debutante, but my heritage has prevented me from doing so. I moved down here from Michigan about five years ago. To be a debutante in Birmingham, you have to come from an old southern family, or have at least one or two generations that have established themselves in society. So, unfortunately for me, I was unqualified to be presented.
People may say that the negativity between the South and the North is gone, but I can be the first to tell you, it is definitely still there. I received a lot of prejudice moving down from the North. I remember in high school people would pick on my accent and call me a Yankee. I remember on my first day of school, this boy that I sat behind started talking to me. After he found out where I was from her said, "you're hot, too bad your a Yankee." He made fun of me for the rest of the year in that class, telling me to "put your hand down you damn Yankee" and stuff like that.
I love the south now and feel like I have acclimated very well. It was definitely a culture shock at first though. I hated it for at least a year and missed Michigan. But after awhile the south started to grow on me, and even though time to time I do miss living on the lake and snowboarding, I like living in the south. It's funny because when I go up north to visit family and friends, they all think I have a strong southern accent. I was an outsider down here and now I go home and I'm the outsider there. It's a little similar to how the Amish teenagers felt during Rumspringa. At first an outsider to the modern world, but then once acclimated an outsider to their Amish world, stuck in between both of them.
I have lived down here long enough to call myself southern. Meeting me, you would think that I lived down here all my life. The south and the north share similarities, yet are entirely different. It's so strange that such different cultures can be from one same country. They say the south is a different world, and there right. I've never heard of my northern friends participating in a debutante ball. But it's southern traditions like that, that make me proud to live where I do.
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