Com’ on, admit it.  Although you may think South of the Border is the tackiest spot on Earth, you’re glad it exists. Nothing gets you through the Valley of Humility easier than Pedro with his constant pitches to make you stop at South of the Border. (Valley of Humility – why that’s North Carolina, since it is trapped between 2 mountains of conceit – Virginia and South Carolina.)

     South of the Border is capitalism at its best. You want it, need it, don’t want it, don’t need it; Pedro can provide it. Long before Tommy Hilfiger had you wearing his clothes emblazoned with his name, Pedro had you buying junk hawking South of the Border. I betcha there’s a case study at some business school on South of the Border’s marketing.

     These days I stop on the way home to buy fireworks. In college years, the stop was on the way South, usually to secure a bumper sticker or mail a postcard as proof of some illicit beach trip or Florida escapade during the school year. After college, the stop either going or coming was still to secure a bumper sticker or postcard to be mailed to an accomplice on earlier trip. While I still stop for a bumper sticker or postcard, I sure don’t let my children know or see me do so. Their college days are fast approaching.