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My greatgrandfather lived in Lincolnton and loved it. He had a 1,000 acre plantation near Iron Station. Unfortunately he had to go up north and fight yankees. He did return after the war so I suppose it is O.K.
I have read over these posts twice, trying to decide if I should waste my time on posting my thoughts.
I know SSD and Southbound have made a big effort to actually get to know folks - and not just objectify them. But some of the rest of the comments - wow - you (whomever it applies to) describe Lincoln County folks as if the locals were from some other planet - and the fact is - YOU are the one who moved to their world.
Just something to think about when mulling over why you may get the reactions from folks that you receive - or why there may be some resentment towards you as a newcomer. Some of the remarks and descriptions I have read in this thread are quite strident and dismissive (and condescending).
As far as the "religious" discussion . . . we are talking a rural area where communities have been held together thru/ 2 centuries by church membership and attendance. And you should be more understanding about the heritage of the locals - they were Europeans who had escaped Europe after religious persecution by the Catholic Church so yes, this has never been a Catholic area. No Catholic would have wanted to live amidst all the Reformed Germans, for one thing. You gotta think this through, folks.
I had a friend who grew up in Atlantic City in a Catholic neighborhood and she said the Catholics would not even speak to her family b/c they were Baptist. Yes, she was born in NJ. So please. There are plenty of places which have been basically protestant or catholic and not very open to anyone who wasn't in their particular church. You are the one who chose to live in Lincoln County; I sincerely doubt you received an engraved invite from the locals. But this is exactly the kind of thing that gets newcomers labeled Damn Yankees - you move somewhere without doing your research and then you complain cause you don't fit it.
Let me re-state. You don't want to fit in, actually. You want to be accommodated. And that is the attitude you need to give up. Why should anyone feel they should accommodate you? I mean - really? Especially when you arrive and spend your time rolling your eyes b/c everyone you encounter is (in your opinion) an uneducated country bumpkin.
So yes, if you move to Lincoln County, I would suggest you consider the 200 year plus heritage of the folks who have been there for generations.
And Southbound - you handled that as well as anyone could possibly have. That self-righteous ole biddy who handed you the card - she probably really believes "work on Sunday" is gonna send you straight to hell, lol. I know I was certainly taught that when growing up in this region! Thankfully, most folks have stopped w/ the inappropriate criticism that goes along with living in a small town and expecting everyone to conform to whatever is the cultural "norm" - but there are definitely still folks out there like this.
Which brings me back to my point for taking time to write this.
If you all don't like living in Lincoln County, then you really should move. I would not move to a place where I knew I didn't fit in. I myself would be very circumspect b/f I moved to a lot of areas in this state (and in most other states, as well). If you are into a more rural way of life and can appreciate small town values . . . if you can move to Lincoln County and realize that you WILL be considered an outsider for a very long time . . . and if your overall values fit in with the natives' - then you will be fine.
But gosh, people - don't you think the locals feel very demeaned by people who show up and instead of showing some respect for the way of life they have established and been enjoying for 200 years - sneer at it? Make fun of it? Are arrogant? I don't think I would be very cordial to you, either, if you demonstrated that attitude to me, no matter where I lived.
I feel for anyone who moves to a place where they have to "prove" themselves to the locals. But that is not singular to Lincoln County, NC. That is just small town America. And from what I have been told and have read . . . the same thing happens in small villages in Europe. You either fit in or you are gonna be shunned. So if all that draws you to an area is a big house on a big lot - think twice. Other people live there. If you expect to get along with them, make sure you choose a place where folks share your values.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,688,469 times
Reputation: 10256
Quote:
Originally Posted by anifani821
I have read over these posts twice, trying to decide if I should waste my time on posting my thoughts.
I know SSD and Southbound have made a big effort to actually get to know folks - and not just objectify them. But some of the rest of the comments - wow - you (whomever it applies to) describe Lincoln County folks as if the locals were from some other planet - and the fact is - YOU are the one who moved to their world.
Just something to think about when mulling over why you may get the reactions from folks that you receive - or why there may be some resentment towards you as a newcomer. Some of the remarks and descriptions I have read in this thread are quite strident and dismissive (and condescending).
As far as the "religious" discussion . . . we are talking a rural area where communities have been held together thru/ 2 centuries by church membership and attendance. And you should be more understanding about the heritage of the locals - they were Europeans who had escaped Europe after religious persecution by the Catholic Church so yes, this has never been a Catholic area. No Catholic would have wanted to live amidst all the Reformed Germans, for one thing. You gotta think this through, folks.
I had a friend who grew up in Atlantic City in a Catholic neighborhood and she said the Catholics would not even speak to her family b/c they were Baptist. Yes, she was born in NJ. So please. There are plenty of places which have been basically protestant or catholic and not very open to anyone who wasn't in their particular church. You are the one who chose to live in Lincoln County; I sincerely doubt you received an engraved invite from the locals. But this is exactly the kind of thing that gets newcomers labeled Damn Yankees - you move somewhere without doing your research and then you complain cause you don't fit it.
Let me re-state. You don't want to fit in, actually. You want to be accommodated. And that is the attitude you need to give up. Why should anyone feel they should accommodate you? I mean - really? Especially when you arrive and spend your time rolling your eyes b/c everyone you encounter is (in your opinion) an uneducated country bumpkin.
So yes, if you move to Lincoln County, I would suggest you consider the 200 year plus heritage of the folks who have been there for generations.
And Southbound - you handled that as well as anyone could possibly have. That self-righteous ole biddy who handed you the card - she probably really believes "work on Sunday" is gonna send you straight to hell, lol. I know I was certainly taught that when growing up in this region! Thankfully, most folks have stopped w/ the inappropriate criticism that goes along with living in a small town and expecting everyone to conform to whatever is the cultural "norm" - but there are definitely still folks out there like this.
Which brings me back to my point for taking time to write this.
If you all don't like living in Lincoln County, then you really should move. I would not move to a place where I knew I didn't fit in. I myself would be very circumspect b/f I moved to a lot of areas in this state (and in most other states, as well). If you are into a more rural way of life and can appreciate small town values . . . if you can move to Lincoln County and realize that you WILL be considered an outsider for a very long time . . . and if your overall values fit in with the natives' - then you will be fine.
But gosh, people - don't you think the locals feel very demeaned by people who show up and instead of showing some respect for the way of life they have established and been enjoying for 200 years - sneer at it? Make fun of it? Are arrogant? I don't think I would be very cordial to you, either, if you demonstrated that attitude to me, no matter where I lived.
I feel for anyone who moves to a place where they have to "prove" themselves to the locals. But that is not singular to Lincoln County, NC. That is just small town America. And from what I have been told and have read . . . the same thing happens in small villages in Europe. You either fit in or you are gonna be shunned. So if all that draws you to an area is a big house on a big lot - think twice. Other people live there. If you expect to get along with them, make sure you choose a place where folks share your values.
Thanks, Ani.
Growing up in Grand Rapids, MI where the predominent religion was Christian Reformed ( Welcome Center - Christian Reformed Church ), Blue Laws were strict & people who belonged to that religion were very strict about no work on Sunday, but didn't care about whether people belonged to a church or what they did on Sunday. They minded their own business.
In the Philadelphia metro area, there are still a lot of Quakers & Quaker philosophies helped to frame the attitudes & local laws, & no one cared what you did on any day of the week.
Being mindful that I was in a different area, I wasn't sure if I should mow, but I heard several mowers. After the "visitation" I was afraid that I had made a huge mistake & asked the neighbors on both sides. I can't write what they said about her & one of the neighbors is a very religious person. They both used the B word in reference to her, & I don't mean biddy.
Honestly, I did look in Lincolnton, but it just didn't look like the right place for me.
One of the places was on a road in the county, just south of the actual city. Near the house that I was checking on was a house with a still running in the front yard, attended by the brewmaster, holding a rifle & with a pack of dogs. Now, I might have missed out on the very best neighbor ever, but I just had a gut feeling that unless I put up a sign on the front lawn that said, "Yes, I'm a Yankee, but I don't care what you do.", I would be suspect for anything that might happen. I didn't feel any more comfortable in the city. I even went into a couple of stores.
According to greatschools.net, they have some excellent schools... pretty good for a bunch of hicks! <sarcasm!!!>
I think I might actually extend my home search into Denver. <NOT sarcastic!!>
LOL! You really should check out the Denver area. As long as you are okay w/ where things are located in relation to retail - there are good schools and some really beautiful property.
SOUTHBOUND: You are flexible and understand that there are some cultural things in this region that are deeply embedded - so you are gonna be fine wherever you might land. :-)
Years ago, the largest still ever "busted" in NC was found in Catawba Co, next door to Lincoln. I would assume there are some folks still brewing their own liquor from mash around here . . . and no, I would NOT want to live near them!
Yes, same thing w/ Blue Laws here and some areas have been slower to give them up than others. As long as one keeps it all in context - no big surprises.
I really like Pumpkin Center and the schools associated with that area(Pumpkin Center Elementary,North Lincoln High and North Lincoln Middle Schools). It is between Lincolnton and Denver and I recommend this area to anyone who likes a nice safe rural area.
I really like Pumpkin Center and the schools associated with that area(Pumpkin Center Elementary,North Lincoln High and North Lincoln Middle Schools). It is between Lincolnton and Denver and I recommend this area to anyone who likes a nice safe rural area.
I like that suggestion, too. It is a growing area.
NO ONE can summarize the southern view point and culture as well as Ani. I read this thread last night and shook my head, figuring there is no point in attempting a thoughtful response. However, Ani's response is better than what I had in mind, so I second what she wrote. Accommodation is a perfect description. Big points for you Ani!
"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to anifani821 again."
Last edited by Shamwow!; 08-28-2009 at 04:41 PM..
Reason: lol You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to anifani821 again.
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