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The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
of the big lake they called "Gitche Gumee."
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
when the skies of November turn gloomy.
With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty,
that good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
when the "Gales of November" came early.
The ship was the pride of the American side
coming back from some mill in Wisconsin.
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
with a crew and good captain well seasoned,
concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
when they left fully loaded for Cleveland.
And later that night when the ship's bell rang,
could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
and a wave broke over the railing.
And ev'ry man knew, as the captain did too
'twas the witch of November come stealin'.
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
when the Gales of November came slashin'.
When afternoon came it was freezin' rain
in the face of a hurricane west wind.
When suppertime came the old cook came on deck sayin'.
"Fellas, it's too rough t'feed ya."
At seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in; he said,
(*2010 lyric change: At 7 p.m., it grew dark, it was then he said,)
"Fellas, it's bin good t'know ya!"
The captain wired in he had water comin' in
and the good ship and crew was in peril.
And later that night when 'is lights went outta sight
came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Does any one know where the love of God goes
when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
if they'd put fifteen more miles behind 'er.
They might have split up or they might have capsized;
they may have broke deep and took water.
And all that remains is the faces and the names
of the wives and the sons and the daughters.
Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
in the rooms of her ice-water mansion.
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams;
the islands and bays are for sportsmen.
And farther below Lake Ontario
takes in what Lake Erie can send her,
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
with the Gales of November remembered.
In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed,
in the "Maritime Sailors' Cathedral."
The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times
for each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
of the big lake they call "Gitche Gumee."
"Superior," they said, "never gives up her dead
when the gales of November come early!
Actually:
1) On C-D, this is not a two-way conversation. if you post something, you can expect responses to it from anyone logged in. The only way to avoid that is to DM someone.
2) You said "Point made." without saying what point was being made. There are several points being made on this post. I'm still not clear which one you feel is all cleared up. It wasn't knke0204's point, as s/he simply posted pictures saying s/he is happy where they are.
3) I do not need to be congratulated on the fact that I would feel isolated living on Lake Superior. It's not a good or bad thing, it's just how I'm wired. Rather than congratulations, I simply feel very fortunate that I was able to land in a place that hits most things on my wish list. i hope the same is true for you.
1.) Correct! Which is why I quoted and replied to knke0204 post and pictures, which also didn't mention or reference you at all. Which is why I'm still confused as to why you continued to quote me, and defend your position on the topic in reference like there was a conversation or discussion going on between us when (no rudeness intended) I had no intentions or thought of speaking to or acknowledging you in general as I'm perfectly fine with you personally feeling isolated wherever you may hypothetically be.
2.) The topic is about the Midwest and isolation as a result of distance to the ocean. Pictures of a massive body of water smack dab in the middle of the Midwest complete with a commentary from knke0204 saying
Quote:
Seriously. I never even think about the ocean. I've been to both the coast and yes the ocean is asthetically pleasing, but not to the point where I feel like I've missed out. Most the time I never even think about it, like I said.
I did live on the shores of Lake Superior and that was pretty much like an ocean so, that works for me.
leads to a yes - point made in regards to the topic of isolation in the Midwest.
3.) Indeed I am, I'm glad you're in a place that makes you happy as well.
Actually:
1) On C-D, this is not a two-way conversation. if you post something, you can expect responses to it from anyone logged in. The only way to avoid that is to DM someone.
2) You said "Point made." without saying what point was being made. There are several points being made on this post. I'm still not clear which one you feel is all cleared up. It wasn't knke0204's point, as s/he simply posted pictures saying s/he is happy where they are.
3) I do not need to be congratulated on the fact that I would feel isolated living on Lake Superior. It's not a good or bad thing, it's just how I'm wired. Rather than congratulations, I simply feel very fortunate that I was able to land in a place that hits most things on my wish list. i hope the same is true for you.
what does this have to do with the OP, I mean...what's the point?
I like the coasts and I guess if I had the choice to live near one or not, I would chose to live near one 100% of the time. However, that's not where I live now. And to answer the OP's question, no not really, I don't feel isolated and like I've missed out for not living near a coast.
What I was getting at with my pictures was that, yes I've lived on the shores of a Great Lake, it never seemed much different from the times I've visited my cousins in San Diego, going to Mexico, the time I was in Atlantic City or in Florida. The only real difference (in the summer) is probably the waves.
Are you Amish? I assume you're taking a horse and buggy since it takes you so long to get to OC.
It's called traffic. You must not've been in DC too terribly recently (your references to 'back in my college days' or whatever would seem to lend support to this ). Traffic is growing exponentially worse in NoVA and suburban MD every, oh, day.. no exaggeration. And, no, it doesn't take *me* any particular amount of time to get to 'OC,' since I don't go there.
And for those of you saying that being near (although your defintions of 'near' seem to vary greatly) an ocean is less 'isolating' than the converse, you do realize that some of THE MOST ISOLATED spots on the planet, including right here in the US, are smack dab on an ocean, right? The western shore of the Olympic Peninsula in WA? Barrow, Alaska? Mind you, these are the parts of the oceanfront I wouldn't *mind* living near (well, Barrow would be a challenge..). The less like the Mid-Atlantic/the DE/MD/NJ beaches the the better, IMO - I'll even put up with water that's never (unlike 'just occasionally.. but it's warmed by Stu & Co.'s pee and sundry other toxic effluence in the summer' in the case of the M-A beaches) warm enough for swimming!
Last edited by Alicia Bradley; 04-26-2011 at 12:16 PM..
Whether you're two hours or six hours from the ocean doesn't really make a difference. Unless you are on the ocean or excessively frequenting the ocean - I don't see what proximity has to do with the discussion. It's like being at a concert vs. being outside the venue. The point is - you're still not at the concert no matter how close you are.
That being said, I feel less isolated butted up against Lake Michigan than I would an hour away from the ocean in Philadelphia.
It's called traffic. You must not've been in DC too terribly recently (your references to 'back in my college days' or whatever would seem to lend support to this ). Traffic is growing exponentially worse in NoVA and suburban MD every, oh, day.. no exaggeration. And, no, it doesn't take *me* any particular amount of time to get to 'OC,' since I don't go there.
If you will re-read my post instead of react, you'll see I flew to National airport annualy through last year.
Last edited by Pine to Vine; 04-26-2011 at 03:45 PM..
Reason: correct typo
I suppose it will be one of life's small mysteries why it's difficult for a few folks to grasp that there are different strokes for different folks. I'm not sure why it seems threatening to learn that some people prefer to live in proximity to the ocean, but I really don't intend to lose any sleep over it.
When I lived in KC, the majority of people I met were very nice and open-minded. There are just a couple of posters here who are unfortunately re-enforcing the inaccurate image many people have of mid-westerners: insular, unsophisticated and narrow-minded. I know they do not reflect the vast majority of people who call the mid-west home, however.
I suspect my comments will invite a lot of "east coast" bashing or other such non-sense I don't and won't pay attention to. The fact is most folks on either coast have never been to the mid-west or even give it a thought. I happen to have a fondness for it, having lived there a brief time. Therefore those few who are not representing it well on this thread won't change my mind about the majority of good folks who live there and enjoy what it offers them.
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You must not've been in DC too terribly recently (your references to 'back in my college days' or whatever would seem to lend support to this 
). Traffic is growing exponentially worse in NoVA and suburban MD every, oh, day.. no exaggeration. And, no, it doesn't take *me* any particular amount of time to get to 'OC,' since I don't go there. 
And for those of you saying that being near (although your defintions of 'near' seem to vary greatly) an ocean is less 'isolating' than the converse, you do realize that some of THE MOST ISOLATED spots on the planet, including right here in the US, are smack dab on an ocean, right? The western shore of the Olympic Peninsula in WA? Barrow, Alaska? Mind you, these are the parts of the oceanfront I wouldn't *mind* living near (well, Barrow would be a challenge..). 
The less like the Mid-Atlantic/the DE/MD/NJ beaches the the better, IMO - I'll even put up with water that's never (unlike 'just occasionally.. but it's warmed by Stu & Co.'s pee and sundry other toxic effluence in the summer' in the case of the M-A beaches) warm enough for swimming! 
