[gemstone1]

You weren't getting stares from people like this were you ?

[nmnita]

don't be surprised at what you see in Walmart.

[TonyWebb]

Thank you all... We're loving Austin and Cabot and it's lovely residents

[TonyWebb]

Originally Posted by nmnita

don't be surprised at what you see in Walmart.

Omg thanks for the laughs

[elvira310]

It sounds like you're settling in well.

Prepare for HUMIDITY in the summer! That can be a shocker if you're only used to arid climes like what you'll find in San Diego.

Check out Eureka Springs when you can; it's a very nice touristy town.

[LordHelmit]

I made almost this exact move in 2005, from south Los Angeles to Cabot then Austin. Only I was in 9th grade when we moved. Culture shock is an understatement. To go from a city where 12 lanes of freeway turns into a parking lot twice a day to a town with 25,000 white rednecks was....strange. I didn't like it, at all. I went to school at Cabot High School and had to listen to all the privileged white kids count off and name all the black kids at the school, as though they were a spectacle. Get used to hearing the "n" word. I honestly feel like Cabot, Austin, Ward, Beebe, Searcy etc are hell on Earth, but whatever floats your boat....

[Podo944]

Originally Posted by gemstone1

You weren't getting stares from people like this were you ?

OMG!!

Hmmm... just thought of a (really stupid) question about southern living... is it so hot and humid there that people just don't want to "cover up"? I've put on a little weight as I've gotten older, so I don't like wearing shorts or sleeveless tops anymore because I've become self conscience. But the "people of Wallmart" thing seems to feature people in the south a lot or so it seems, but I could be completely ignorant of this, so I apologize in advance. I've only lived in a non humid climate. Are heavier people more comfortable with themselves to stay comfortable in that climate?

[elvira310]

Originally Posted by Podo944

OMG!!

Hmmm... just thought of a (really stupid) question about southern living... is it so hot and humid there that people just don't want to "cover up"? I've put on a little weight as I've gotten older, so I don't like wearing shorts or sleeveless tops anymore because I've become self conscience. But the "people of Wallmart" thing seems to feature people in the south a lot or so it seems, but I could be completely ignorant of this, so I apologize in advance. I've only lived in a non humid climate. Are heavier people more comfortable with themselves to stay comfortable in that climate?

In the midwest (and perhaps the South?), it seems like some heavier people just don't care or are simply not aware. I confess that I was major culture shock when I first spent time in a midwestern town and saw how many bigger people were dressed in things that would not fly at all in Southern California.

Now I'm of two minds about it. On one hand, it was a bit shocking, as I couldn't imagine wearing something like that myself. I may sometimes dress "sloppy" (t-shirt and sweatpants) but I wouldn't show upper arms or thighs if I wasn't too pleased with the way they looked. Furthermore, my family would all give me grief if I did (since we're all S. Calif. natives).

On the other hand, it's kind of good, and maybe mentally "healthy," that these people don't give a darn what everyone else thinks. We have enough of society's pressure on us to conform, and if you're wearing short sleeves in hot weather, even if your upper arms are not the best, because it's TOO HOT, then more power to you! Comfort should take precedence sometimes!

Though I admit, sometimes it doesn't seem like a matter of comfort, it's no filter on what is or is not flattering to a particular figure type.

[CraigCreek]

Thankfully, some of those "people of Wal-Mart" pix are photo-shopped.

But not all of them, alas...

[Old Fossil]

Originally Posted by elvira310

In the midwest (and perhaps the South?), it seems like some heavier people just don't care or are simply not aware. I confess that I was major culture shock when I first spent time in a midwestern town and saw how many bigger people were dressed in things that would not fly at all in Southern California.

Now I'm of two minds about it. On one hand, it was a bit shocking, as I couldn't imagine wearing something like that myself. I may sometimes dress "sloppy" (t-shirt and sweatpants) but I wouldn't show upper arms or thighs if I wasn't too pleased with the way they looked. Furthermore, my family would all give me grief if I did (since we're all S. Calif. natives).

On the other hand, it's kind of good, and maybe mentally "healthy," that these people don't give a darn what everyone else thinks. We have enough of society's pressure on us to conform, and if you're wearing short sleeves in hot weather, even if your upper arms are not the best, because it's TOO HOT, then more power to you! Comfort should take precedence sometimes!

Though I admit, sometimes it doesn't seem like a matter of comfort, it's no filter on what is or is not flattering to a particular figure type.

After retiring from the military, where, as everyone knows, uniformity is required, I decided I would dress for my comfort and if anyone has a problem with that it's their problem, not mine. So, Old Fossil is a sorehead, so be it, just don't kick my Pet Rock