Does where you live influence who you are?

[Bud]

I was thinking the other day about how location influences individuals. For instance, I was born in Wisconsin but moved to Colorado after 2nd grade. Lived there till I graduated from High School.

 

Since that time I have lived in S. Illinois except for a year and a half when we lived near Ft. Benning, GA in the late 60's to early 70's.

 

I can vividly remember when it dawned on me that I was a Midwesterner. Until that time I thought I would move back to Colorado at some point.

 

Generalizations work not because they are true of everyone, but because they are true of many/most. So when someone hears I'm from the Midwest, they immediately have some preconceived notions about me. The same for someone from the South or California or the NE or Chicago, etc...............

 

OTOH, some people choose to live where they do because of who they are. They find the place where they are the most comfortable.

 

I, for one, could never live in FL and yet know many, many people who do and love living there. They may feel the same way about S. Illinois.

 

So, what do you think?

[szurszewski]

Yes.

 

[Red]

This just now from the "Hwy 12 Closed" thread in this forum.

Well Red, I think you are gonna make it. thumbsup

 

Funny how where we live helps define who we are.

_________________________

Charter Member "High Town" Crew

 

Just a co inky dink?

 

Red

[upflying]

Yes, I felt fortunate to live in ca for 58 years. Now it's an embarrassment to live here.

Yes, moving within 6 months.

[10ovr]

Yes, I felt fortunate to live in ca for 58 years. Now it's an embarrassment to live here.

Yes, moving within 6 months.

Took you long enough ,,It was an embarrassment back in 1986 when I moved out of there,,

[RAMBLIN RED]

As an Army brat and later serving in my own hitch, living in many states and overseas, I always longed for what I percieved as the stability of living where my roots run deep. Well, not much stability but it's where I belong, to hell with high tides and bridges.

[DiggerJim]

My family has been in this area for over 300 years back to the whole original settlers days. Roots go really deep. My family has lived in the same town for 6 generations. I'll be changing all of that in a few years when I retire - we're done here. It's not the same place as it was. The values of old New England have been supplanted by new values that are not compatible - or I'm getting to be old & curmudgeonly and resist change I don't believe I'm alone though based on the population declines CT and the region have experienced over the past 20 years. My kids have been going to colleges out of state and find nothing compelling to incent them to return. North Carolina looks like it may be closer to how I was raised and how I'd like to live.

 

Funny thing is my wife is a 2nd generation immigrant - her parents came over from Italy & Poland when they were young. She'd have been happy to move 20 years ago, no roots.

[RAMBLIN RED]

So many of the young people out here want to leave. The old fishing economy is gone and it is tourism or nothing. Maybe some day roots will be important to them but not now. And Digger, NC is a great place to live....come on down!

[4wheeldog]

Yes. For my first 52 years, I lived in CA, and was considered a moderate to a conservative (Social liberal, fiscal conservative). Here is New Messico for the last 8 years, living with transplanted Texicans, I am a bleeding heart dangerous commie liberal. I haven't changed, but neighbors grade on the curve......

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

So, what do you think?

 

Certainly there are local cultural differences all over the country. The stereotypes are not necessarily inaccurate; see for example "Minnesota nice," and also the honor culture associated with the deep south and western states.

 

What happens to you when you move all over the place? I'm a cultural mutt:

 

-lived my first 6 years in Erie, PA

-next 4 years in Madison, WI

-next 7 years in a northern suburb of Minneapolis, MN

-4.5 years of undergrad in Fargo, ND

-6 years of grad school in Madison, WI

 

I've finally settled a bit, living my past 15 years here in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It's the longest I've lived in one city.

 

In a general sense I suppose I'm a midwesterner. But my dad was born and raised in Massachusetts, and my mom was born/raised in England; when it comes to formative influences, I would guess their personalities (formed in large part by those places) were as important to my development as the cultures that I grew up in. So I'm not purely a product of any of the places I've been - and I suspect no one else is either, unless their parents also grew up in the same place. Example, if you were born and raised in Boston by parents who were also born and raised in Boston, you're probably going to exhibit a lot of stereotypical Boston personality traits. But if you were born/raised in Boston by parents who moved there from (for example) South Korea, then maybe not so much.

[sardineone]

I'm for better or worse a product of the midwest. In my case I have conservative leanings, but I reserve the right to question any point of view. NOT brought up yet in this thread is location affecting you as a rider. Strangely I'm not a Harley rider in a local infestation in the baby boomer generation. There are some nice curvey roads about 80 miles from my home that have influenced my personal liking to bikes that handle well. Those roads have had an attraction to me for over 30 years now. That's why I'm quite fond of my BMW's perfomance envelope. Always nice when Dr. Jeckell lets out Mr. Hyde!

[Mike]

The average person definitely derives his attitudes and world view from the area where he grows up. I'm less convinced that where you live at any given time has as much impact.

 

One of the things I learned about myself in living overseas and everywhere from California to Massachusetts, was that there were certain places where the prevailing attitudes and political philosophies were such that I could never live there for the long term. Loved it while I was there, but sometimes I just never felt like I "clicked" with the way people looked at the world.

 

Of all the places we lived while I was in the military, England felt the most like it was our home. Really, rather odd, because while we (sort of) share a language, life there was immeasurably different from everything I'd previously known.

[Missouri Bob]

I spent my first 45 years in Saint Louis before moving to Colorado. The move was reasonably well-considered. However, last year when my wife and I went back to STL for a weekend in October, I realized that I will always be a Midwesterner.

 

Bob

[tallman]

I've lived in, Philadelphia, Miami, Palm Beach, Tampa, Boston, San Francisco, Austin, and Tallahasee.

 

I think I was the same person in each city.

 

What I did varied somewhat, but me, myself and I were

who we are/was/am.

 

I think...

[1springer]

I don't think where you live influences you as much as where you grew up. Each region of the country has its own subtle, sometimes not so subtle, influences and particular approach to living. I think it would be difficult to completely negate those influences particularly when they are being applied during the formative years.

 

I grew up in southern Minnesota, but over my life time have lived in Washington DC, CO, NM, NV, CA(Bay area), WA, spent time in the S.East, N. East, Europe and the Far East. I took a little from each place I've lived but I consider myself basically a midwesterner, but I would never live there again. I retired in WA (mountains and ocean are a difficult combination to beat) and although I would probably not live anywhere else (the bay area of years past would be a close second) I don't really consider WA "home". I guess I'm a transient with a midwestern up bringing. As a song writer said, "what good is living if you stay in the same place"!

[Dave McReynolds]

Everyone is different, of course. I remember growing up in a small Texas town, and having more than one person tell me, with pride, "I've never been more than 50 miles from _____________ Texas in my whole life." Even at the age of 6 or 8 years old, I wondered why someone would be proud of that. Even at that age, I wanted to see as much of the world as possible.

 

The point is, if you're the type of person who is never going to go more than 50 miles from your home town, I guess you're going to be whoever you're going to be right there. Those of us who travel will probably end up in some place that reflects our personal values and geographical desires, which might be quite different from the places we grew up in. So I think who we are has more of an influence on where we live rather than vice versa.

[BFish]

I've lived in, Philadelphia, Miami, Palm Beach, Tampa, Boston, San Francisco, Austin, and Tallahasee.

 

I think I was the same person in each city.

 

What I did varied somewhat, but me, myself and I were

who we are/was/am.

 

I think...

 

yeah, but your accent is a doozy!

[Bud]

I spent my first 45 years in Saint Louis before moving to Colorado. The move was reasonably well-considered. However, last year when my wife and I went back to STL for a weekend in October, I realized that I will always be a Midwesterner.

 

Bob

 

I've lived within 50 miles of St. Louis for 45 years, but I grew up in Arvada! Go figure, we are two of an opposite kind.

 

[enfoman]

My family has been in this area for over 300 years back to the whole original settlers days. Roots go really deep. My family has lived in the same town for 6 generations............The values of old New England have been supplanted by new values that are not compatible - or I'm getting to be old & curmudgeonly and resist change I don't believe I'm alone though based on the population declines CT and the region have experienced over the past 20 years.

 

No Jim-

 

Your not! I'm with ya on those points for sure. Something has changed. At least where I used to live until last year. It's just wasn't the same for me anymore and I find myself striving to go back to the past. It isn't because of technology or population change. I think it is from a fundamental shift in American values.

[philbytx]

I was most definitely a "Texan by intent", although I lived in Wheaton, Il for years. I never thought of myself as an 'Illinoisian', it was just a place to live and Chicago my place to work.

 

Moved here 8 1/2 years ago because I love the place and couldn't find a better place to retire. I have definitely embraced the values and have now become a Texan.

 

[4wheeldog]

I was most definitely a "Texan by intent", although I lived in Wheaton, Il for years. I never thought of myself as an 'Illinoisian', it was just a place to live and Chicago my place to work.

 

Moved here 8 1/2 years ago because I love the place and couldn't find a better place to retire. I have definitely embraced the values and have now become a Texan.

 

You can take the Texican out of Texas, but you cannot take Texas out of the Texican.

Why isn't Texas still a separate country?

[g_frey]

Lets see, I have lived in Montana, Hawaii, Phillipines, Idaho, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, and had shorter stays in other places. I have been the same person in all of them but grown more cynical as the years go by. I have known too many "leaders" who are incompetent and lazy and seen too many bad decisions by "committees" to want to ever be on one again. My biggest regret is the influx of idiots into Montana bringing with them their inborn entitlement to the good things without having to work. I personally know college teachers who work 5 hours per week by cheating the system and others who work 15 hours per week by following the permissive rules they have at the college. What a life. So overall I would say that yes it does influence most people and they take their habits with them.

[Bud]

I was most definitely a "Texan by intent", although I lived in Wheaton, Il for years. I never thought of myself as an 'Illinoisian', it was just a place to live and Chicago my place to work.

 

Moved here 8 1/2 years ago because I love the place and couldn't find a better place to retire. I have definitely embraced the values and have now become a Texan.

 

You can take the Texican out of Texas, but you cannot take Texas out of the Texican.

Why isn't Texas still a separate country?

 

Has something to do with a war, IIRC.

[philbytx]

Nope pardner, here's the abbreviated version.

 

Because as a Republic, her finances were badly mismanaged, Texas jumped at the opportunity America gave (under the leadership of US President James Knox Polk) to join the Union. When the US took Texas in as a state on December, 1845, the geographic portion which is now the State of Texas was carved out of the old Republic of Texas. This was done as payment for debt. The remaining territory of the old Republic of Texas later became portions of Oklahoma, Kansas, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico.

 

Texas at first WAS the northern half of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. Because of high taxation and poor civil rights, Tejanos (Hispanics living in Texas at the time) and Texians (blacks and whites living in Texas at the time), fought for and won their independence from Mexico in 1836. With independence, Texas became a sovereign nation--the Republic of Texas. She was friends with but not part of the United States from her national inception until statehood in 1845.

 

Before Polk, the US was leery about bringing Texas in to the Union as it was concerned about problems with Spain.

 

So, in essence, it was all about the land and money mate... LOL!

 

 

[Bud]

Nope pardner, here's the abbreviated version.

 

Because as a Republic, her finances were badly mismanaged, Texas jumped at the opportunity America gave (under the leadership of US President James Knox Polk) to join the Union. When the US took Texas in as a state on December, 1845, the geographic portion which is now the State of Texas was carved out of the old Republic of Texas. This was done as payment for debt. The remaining territory of the old Republic of Texas later became portions of Oklahoma, Kansas, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico.

 

Texas at first WAS the northern half of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. Because of high taxation and poor civil rights, Tejanos (Hispanics living in Texas at the time) and Texians (blacks and whites living in Texas at the time), fought for and won their independence from Mexico in 1836. With independence, Texas became a sovereign nation--the Republic of Texas. She was friends with but not part of the United States from her national inception until statehood in 1845.

 

Before Polk, the US was leery about bringing Texas in to the Union as it was concerned about problems with Spain.

 

So, in essence, it was all about the land and money mate... LOL!

 

 

Well then I didn't recall correctly.

 

Thanks for the short history lesson.

[russell_bynum]

Nope pardner, here's the abbreviated version.

 

Because as a Republic, her finances were badly mismanaged, Texas jumped at the opportunity America gave (under the leadership of US President James Knox Polk) to join the Union. When the US took Texas in as a state on December, 1845, the geographic portion which is now the State of Texas was carved out of the old Republic of Texas. This was done as payment for debt. The remaining territory of the old Republic of Texas later became portions of Oklahoma, Kansas, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico.

 

Texas at first WAS the northern half of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. Because of high taxation and poor civil rights, Tejanos (Hispanics living in Texas at the time) and Texians (blacks and whites living in Texas at the time), fought for and won their independence from Mexico in 1836. With independence, Texas became a sovereign nation--the Republic of Texas. She was friends with but not part of the United States from her national inception until statehood in 1845.

 

Before Polk, the US was leery about bringing Texas in to the Union as it was concerned about problems with Spain.

 

So, in essence, it was all about the land and money mate... LOL!

 

 

That pretty much covers it.

[tallman]

Do we still need a passport to visit?

[Bud]

Do we still need a passport to visit?

 

No, but you may need to show and ID to vote.

[lawnchairboy]

Five states and Japan.

 

Looking for my last move now ...

[1springer]

Try the PNW…snow capped mountains, glaciers, ocean and miles and miles of backroads begging to be ridden. Oh ya…then there is the rain, floods, occasional earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. There is no utopia!

[John Ranalletta]

Jason Headley's contemplation upon leaving West Virginia and how living there and leaving affected him.

 

Dear West Virginia

[Bud]

Jason Headley's contemplation upon leaving West Virginia and how living there and leaving affected him.

 

Dear West Virginia

 

John,

 

Thanks for sharing that essay. He sure captured the sense of place and how it shaped him as a person.

[enfoman]

Here is a link that may also tug at the heartstrings of New Englanders too.

 

[philbytx]

Nah!

You'd fit right in here Tim