I love the southern accents. Back in '93 I spent a fair while traveling around NC, SC, GA, and AL.
I still recall the comment of a 13-year-old girl upon hearing my accent and asking where I was from. "AAahhh knew you wasn't from Georgia -- You talk funny!"
Gramps & Ga.Sparky (and all other southerners),
You might like to remember the following any time people complain about the way you talk.
I understand that many linguists believe that the English spoken in the southern states most closely resembles that spoken in England several centuries ago, in terms of overall accent and pronunciation.