Mike D Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 Well i've been visiting my dad and family recently and they live in a small town. And it occured to me today just how much I don't fit in here. It's not like I am a big city person either (I prefer medium sized). And I can pretty much get along with anyone, so it's got nothing to do with whether everyone here is a backwoods buck-toothed hick or not (although almost everyone pretty much is). The main thing is just the way so many of the people act. Everyone wants to get in your business and cause a confrontation. And the gossip, my god. It never stops. Even the men......it's like being in a sewing circle with a bunch of catty old women. And everyone stares. Even just going to the store is wierd. I get out of my car and everyone just looks, like I just came down from Mars or something. Like WTF, y'all I know I gotta pretty face but Jesus f-ing Christ go stare at your sisters ass for awhile or something. Anyway I am now depressed and just want to go home, I can't believe I actually spent part of my growing up years in this shithole. But I am stuck here for 3 more weeks. I think I am in hell. P.S. To be fair it's actually very beautiful here, in the moutains and very relaxing. I just wish there were some normal people here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knightley Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 I agree. I visited Cortez, Colorado once. It was hell. Sorry to anyone that's from there, but I couldn't stand it. Not after living in a big city all of my life. the biggest high point there was visiting the giant 24 hours Wal-Mart. We went there plenty of times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-COG Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 P.S. To be fair it's actually very beautiful here, in the moutains and very relaxing. I just wish there were some normal people here! Ignore the people, concentrate on the mountains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike D Posted May 29, 2006 Author Share Posted May 29, 2006 the biggest high point there was visiting the giant 24 hours Wal-Mart. We went there plenty of times. Shocking as it may be, this town isn't even big enough to have a Wal-Mart (although they do have a regular K-mart) so that would be an improvement Ignore the people, concentrate on the mountains. I will try. Maybe tomorrow I will take some pics of the mountains with my new digital cam to get my mind off the people. Fun fun fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Max Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 I grew up in farm country, and folks in the farms and the small towns definitely watch each other a lot more that city folk do. I think it's because there are fewer people to watch, so they can do a better job of it. They also pass judgement on everything about everyone, and you'll get called on any little way in which you deviate from their norm. That's why I left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HadouKen24 Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 Everyone wants to get in your business and cause a confrontation. And the gossip, my god. It never stops. Even the men......it's like being in a sewing circle with a bunch of catty old women. I believe that's generally known as "community." I hear it has its advantages as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willybilly30 Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 Wow I thought my town was the ongly one like that lol. Its beutiful in nature l but people are nosey, gossipy and most of them christian. It's really annoying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 Everyone wants to get in your business and cause a confrontation. And the gossip, my god. It never stops. Even the men......it's like being in a sewing circle with a bunch of catty old women. I believe that's generally known as "community." I hear it has its advantages as well. It's weird. When we lived in downtown DC we had a nice little community, even though we were in the heart of the city. We often frequented the gay bar across the street and my wife would be greeted with a loud "Natasha!" from the owner and patrons as we would walk in (think Norm!). When we moved out to the edge of the beltway in Falls Church, VA that sense of community went up in a puff of smoke. I hated it there and felt like a cow with a brand as I crammed into the metro on the way to work every day. I hated navigating the beltway traffic and having people honk and flip each other off as they narrowly tempted death passing one another. I hated that our neighbors refused to even look at us, much less breath a quiet "hello" under their breaths as they passed us by. One neighbor even (obviously) turned away from me when I encountered her in the grocery line. A coworker even told me that when she moved into a neighborhood near ours that she had baked brownies and then sent her then 10yo daughter around to give baskets of them to her new neighbors. Most refused to even answer the door and one quickly took the basket and shut the door without a "thanks." It's the same here in Russia. We just moved downtown from the 'burbs. In the burbs everyone is mean to one another. Downtown everyone is friendly and we feel a sense of community once again. All that said, I am definately a city boy. I need city life around me. I need the advantages that the city as to offer - the culture, the higher level of education, the concerts, the restaurants, et al. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgnosticBob AtheistPants Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 Well i've been visiting my dad and family recently and they live in a small town. And it occured to me today just how much I don't fit in here. It's not like I am a big city person either (I prefer medium sized). And I can pretty much get along with anyone, so it's got nothing to do with whether everyone here is a backwoods buck-toothed hick or not (although almost everyone pretty much is). The main thing is just the way so many of the people act. Everyone wants to get in your business and cause a confrontation. And the gossip, my god. It never stops. Even the men......it's like being in a sewing circle with a bunch of catty old women. And everyone stares. Even just going to the store is wierd. I get out of my car and everyone just looks, like I just came down from Mars or something. Like WTF, y'all I know I gotta pretty face but Jesus f-ing Christ go stare at your sisters ass for awhile or something. Anyway I am now depressed and just want to go home, I can't believe I actually spent part of my growing up years in this shithole. But I am stuck here for 3 more weeks. I think I am in hell. P.S. To be fair it's actually very beautiful here, in the moutains and very relaxing. I just wish there were some normal people here! Oh yes, I know how you feel exactly. I just got back from visiting my children in small town Alabama (my monthly ritual). I've been gone from there for a year and half (moved to Los Angeles for work) and I want to hole up in my cousin's apartment and never go out when I'm there. I hate it. I fly into Atlanta and drive to Alabama. Listening to the radio on the drive over is enough to make me want to turn around and get back on a plane to L.A. There are so many "Jesus loves you, come to our church and see" commercials I want to puke. And the morning talk radio...oh my god. There's this couple that I used to listen to when I lived there called "Rick and Bubba." I used to love them. Now I just can't see what I EVER saw in them! They are uber-hypocritical ultra-conservative fundie christians. Can't see how I ever missed it. I divorced my ex in this small town too, so I get a double dose of the stares...hmm...more like glares. People that used to be my friends now won't talk to me. There are still some good folk there that know the entire story and understand and don't judge me. But it still makes it uncomfortable. If it weren't for my kids, I would never set foot there again. I'm hoping by showing them the world outside, they'll want to get out of there themselves someday. I feel for you Mike. Take the advice of Ex-COG (I'm also ex-cog btw ) and focus on the beauty of the country around you. At least you have that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Japedo Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 Mike I can completely relate. My husband moved us up to the White Mountains of NH. I was living on the seacoast where civilization resides and no one gives two shits what you do in your life. We have one tiny wal-mart and only one over priced Grocery store. If I want to do any real shopping I need to drive a few hours. We have one movie theater which on rare occasion has new releases. Usually everything that comes up here is just about ready to go on DVD. Small town life is something I wont be able to do for the rest of my life. I detest it here, but try to make the best of it. I like to visit home alot There are some wonderful people up here, and If I ever move back home, Id be sure to visit them. I can tell you one thing, I would be less nervous walking down the streets of Boston then by some of the rednecks up here. Some look like the fell right out of Deliverance, I can almost hear the faint sound of banjos. My kids can't get away with anything I suppose that's a good point. One time of my boys flipped off someone on Main St. I got a phone call about it by a passerby before he even made it home, Nothing like confronting kids about their actions when they are out of the house. People are board up here and have nothing to do other then pry into everyone's affairs. Ya just gotta love pulling out of the drug store and the next day be asked if everyone in the house is alright. No more city driving up here either. If you don't stop the car for every Tom, Dick and Harry you're told off. I'm constantly being told off for not allowing people in. Thing is I really don't watch who's in their cars.. I really could give two shits. My objective when I'm driving is to get to my destination not to look at every car to see if I know them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lycorth Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 I can't wait to get out of New Jersey and into a nice, little town in time. Those are our future plans. I hate city life; rude, pushy jerks who think their shit doesn't stink just because they live in a big, fast-paced, overpolluted urban toilet. Small towners may sometimes exhibit the judgementalism of your sterotypical backwater Babble-belt locale, but at least I wouldn't be getting shot at and having my tires randomly slashed or hoping some gangbanger isn't going to kick in my parents' door at 1am. I don't mind having a few snooty fundygelicals around. I'm used to defying assholes, most of whom have worse things than Babbles in their hands. The only pleasant thing out here on the East Coast is that folks are more tolerant of different sorts of people, like gays and non-xians. Other than that, forget it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AgnosticBob AtheistPants Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 I can't wait to get out of New Jersey and into a nice, little town in time. Those are our future plans. I hate city life; rude, pushy jerks who think their shit doesn't stink just because they live in a big, fast-paced, overpolluted urban toilet. Small towners may sometimes exhibit the judgementalism of your sterotypical backwater Babble-belt locale, but at least I wouldn't be getting shot at and having my tires randomly slashed or hoping some gangbanger isn't going to kick in my parents' door at 1am. I don't mind having a few snooty fundygelicals around. I'm used to defying assholes, most of whom have worse things than Babbles in their hands. The only pleasant thing out here on the East Coast is that folks are more tolerant of different sorts of people, like gays and non-xians. Other than that, forget it. I think the cliche that "the grass always grows greener on the other side of the fence" has a ring of truth to it here. I spent the majority of my life in small towns. I now love living in the big city. I prefer the gangbanger threat to the fundie threat! Perhaps in 20 more years I'll miss the small town. Right now, the grass is VERY much greener than where I was. Time will tell I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amethyst Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 I grew up in farm country, and folks in the farms and the small towns definitely watch each other a lot more that city folk do. I think it's because there are fewer people to watch, so they can do a better job of it. They also pass judgement on everything about everyone, and you'll get called on any little way in which you deviate from their norm. That's why I left! Sounds like my old church. Heh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lycorth Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 I think the cliche that "the grass always grows greener on the other side of the fence" has a ring of truth to it here. I spent the majority of my life in small towns. I now love living in the big city. I prefer the gangbanger threat to the fundie threat! Perhaps in 20 more years I'll miss the small town. Right now, the grass is VERY much greener than where I was. Time will tell I suppose. Heh - yeah, the grass is greener, indeed. There's some of that, for sure. But since no fundygelical is going to shoot me for being in the 7-11 he wanted to rob, no one will ever sell me on the city again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taphophilia Posted May 31, 2006 Share Posted May 31, 2006 I used to live in a small town in Illinois and I have to say it was easy to raise kids. If your kid did something, someone called you before your child got home from doing it. The kids could ride their bikes all over town without a care, and if someone who didn't live in the town drove through they were stopped by the police and asked why they were there. I locked my keys in the car once and I called the police and had my keys in hand in fifteen minutes. The police basically have nothing to do. Everyone left there car running in the winter time in parking lot of small grocery store in town. My friend from Chicago flipped out about the kids getting out of the car and playing in the store parking lot while I went into shop. They were playing with the other kids whose parents were in the store. Though, when my girls got to high school, the dating pool was like dating your cousin. They had grown up with everyone and had known them all their lives. Taph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chefranden Posted June 1, 2006 Share Posted June 1, 2006 I raised my kids in a small town (532) and I think it was great. Sure people poke in your business, but they are there for help too. My kids went through school in small classes. Their graduating classes were 28 and 32 in size. Every teacher in the school system knew them and every other kid as well. Nobody is a number in a small town. It's like Cheers -- everyone knows your name. Don't pick small town life if you plan on cheating on your significant other. You won't get away with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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