Some great things about southern Illinois (Chicago, Carbondale: movie theater, camping, taxes)

[computerguysd]

BLS2753
"Chances are the hospitality you experience in your SI town, is the result of growing up there, and everyone knowing everyone else. If a stranger moved into that little town, I guarantee they wouldn't receive that treatment. The locals would be just as "suspicious" as what you experienced in the larger WI town"

As you know by now, I prefer the a rural lifestyle and probably wouldn't comment now except that I think you might be a little too negative of "small town locals". It's true that in most small towns some families have lived in the area for generations and are fixtures of the community. The upside of that is that most folks are open to get to know you and if you're the "neighborly type" you'll soon have some friendly neighbors; if you're not you'll probably get lonely pretty fast.

I'll grant you that I'm even more rural than "small town" now, since my family moved to an acreage 13 years ago and It's just my experience that I've found the further apart my neighbors are, the more neighborly they are. Maybe we fit in because we seek the same lifestyle our neighbors have and still get together for township meetings and community events. I honestly think that anyone that moves to a small town or rural area that wants to be a neighbor will find plenty of them.

[Road Warrior]

Originally Posted by computerguysd

BLS2753
"Chances are the hospitality you experience in your SI town, is the result of growing up there, and everyone knowing everyone else. If a stranger moved into that little town, I guarantee they wouldn't receive that treatment. The locals would be just as "suspicious" as what you experienced in the larger WI town"

As you know by now, I prefer the a rural lifestyle and probably wouldn't comment now except that I think you might be a little too negative of "small town locals". It's true that in most small towns some families have lived in the area for generations and are fixtures of the community. The upside of that is that most folks are open to get to know you and if you're the "neighborly type" you'll soon have some friendly neighbors; if you're not you'll probably get lonely pretty fast.

I'll grant you that I'm even more rural than "small town" now, since my family moved to an acreage 13 years ago and It's just my experience that I've found the further apart my neighbors are, the more neighborly they are. Maybe we fit in because we seek the same lifestyle our neighbors have and still get together for township meetings and community events. I honestly think that anyone that moves to a small town or rural area that wants to be a neighbor will find plenty of them.

When I moved down to Illinois from Canada in July 2003 we lived in Livingston and everywhere we go, we always get waved at, I felt very welcome . My wife before we were married she would risk life and limb driving 2000 miles there and back just to meet me ,to welcome me to the USA and help me apply for Permanent Residency (Money is NO object) and now I am ready for Citizenship..I would not want to go back to Canada unless we are visiting family..The USA is a great country dispite the economic problems..But that doesn't bother us..God Bless America!!!

[sandgirl]

Originally Posted by Road Warrior

When I moved down to Illinois from Canada in July 2003 we lived in Livingston and everywhere we go, we always get waved at, I felt very welcome . My wife before we were married she would risk life and limb driving 2000 miles there and back just to meet me ,to welcome me to the USA and help me apply for Permanent Residency (Money is NO object) and now I am ready for Citizenship..I would not want to go back to Canada unless we are visiting family..The USA is a great country dispite the economic problems..But that doesn't bother us..God Bless America!!!

Thank you for sharing and welcome to the USA

[sandgirl]

Well, before the price of gas skyrocketed, I enjoyed driving throughout the countryside snapping pictures of old farm houses and barns. So much character and history. Sure don't make'em like that anymore.

[clanaxberg]

[quote=Julian B;3430812]I think it's stuff like this that turned me against the area. If you choose to move to a city or something, you are considered crazy. People who are 55 years old and have lived in southern Illinois for 55 years just can't fathom somebody wanting to get the hell out of there. All my friends and family are there, but that's just a sad fact.[/quot

I have lived in the UK, W.Germany, Italy, CA, TX, OK, CO and Illinois, I consider myself pretty well rounded (and happy) I would be blissfully happy and content to end my days in Illinois, I can't wait to move back there! I have never met people that are as friendly, patient, tolerant, or down to earth as Illinoisians.

[Southern Illinois Redneck]

I agree with all yall we are just a bunch of good ol country boys and gals. Honostly what annoys me is all these people from Chicago moving down here to are end of the state. Northern and Central Illinois has been screwing us over for decades until hunting season or the summer than all those idiots come down here and invade us.

[Dolly]

Originally Posted by Southern Illinois Redneck

I agree with all yall we are just a bunch of good ol country boys and gals. Honostly what annoys me is all these people from Chicago moving down here to are end of the state. Northern and Central Illinois has been screwing us over for decades until hunting season or the summer than all those idiots come down here and invade us.

You should be in Wisconsin, they think everyone in Illinois is from Chicago and have a lovely little acronym for all us Illinois folks which I will not repeat. I give up trying to educate people in Wisconsin that there is a whole lot of state besides Chicago and the southern part is nothing like Chicago and in fact, most of us from the southern part of Illinois, don't like Chicago either!

[Road Warrior]

Originally Posted by yankeegirl313

A friend emailed me this.. I thought it was cute:
THE RULES OF RURAL ILLINOIS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Listen up City Slickers !

1. Pull your droopy pants up. You look like an idiot.

2. Turn your cap right, your head isn't crooked.

3. Let's get this straight; it's called a "dirt road." I drive a pickup
truck because I want to. No matter how slow you drive, you're going to get
dust on your Lexus. Drive it or get out of the way.

4. They are cattle. They're live steaks. That's why they smell funny to
you. But they smell like money to us. Get over it. Don't like it? Rt. 24
goes east and west, I-57 goes north and south. Pick one.

5. So you have a $60,000 car. We're impressed. We have $250,000 combines
and hay balers that are driven only 3 weeks a year.

6. So every person in ILLINOIS waves. It's called being friendly. Try to
understand the concept.

7. If that cell phone rings while an 8-point buck and 3 does are coming
in, we WILL shoot it out of your hand. You better hope you don't have it up
to your ear at the time.

8. Yeah, we eat taters & gravy, beans & cornbread. You really want sushi &
caviar? It's available at the corner bait shop.

9. The "Opener" refers to the first day of deer season. It's a religious
holiday held the closest Saturday to the first of November.

10. We open doors for women. That is applied to all women, regardless of
age.

11. No, there's no "vegetarian special" on the menu. Order steak. Or you
can order the Chef's Salad and pick off the 2 po unds of ham & turkey.

12. When we fill out a table, there are three main dishes: meats,
vegetables, and breads. We use three spices: salt, pepper, and ketchup. Oh,
yeah.... We don't care what you folks in Cincinnati call that stuff you
eat... IT AIN'T REAL CHILI!!


13. You bring "coke" into my house, it better be brown, wet and served
over ice.

14. You bring "Mary Jane" into my house, she better be cute, know how to
shoot, drive a truck, and have long hair.

15. College and High School Football is as important here as the Lakers
and the Knicks, and a dang site more fun to watch.

16. Yeah, we have golf courses. But don't hit the water hazards -- it
spooks the fish.

17. Colleges? We have them all over. We have State Universities, Community
Colleges, and Vo-techs. They come outta there with an education plus a love
for God and country, and they still wave at everybody when they come for
the holidays.

18. We have a whole ton of folks in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and
Marines. So don't mess with us. If you do, you will get whipped by the
best.

19. Turn down that music! That blasted thumpty-thump-thump, ain't music, anyway. We don't want to hear it anymore than we want to see your
boxers. Refer back to #1.

20. 4 inches isn't a blizzard - it's a flurry. Drive like you got some
sense in it, and DON'T take all our bread, milk, and bleach from the
grocery stores. This ain't Alaska, worst case you may have to live a whole
day without croissants. The pickups with snow blades will have you out the
next day.

21. Some drivers can't see over the dashboard when they are driving..I have seen enough of them..

[sburton]

Have spent quite a bit of time in SI and always enjoy visiting. There's no denying though that it tends to be quite isolated from the mainstream. Fine for a brief stay but certainly not suitable as a permanent home unless your aim is to escape the real world. There are so many hilarious things in the quoted post. But best of all is how this land of 'good, simple, old-fashioned, welcoming, caring, down to earth' folks is so thoroughly consumed with resentment, condemnation, sarcasm, rejection and intolerance. I mean seriously folks, this is hilarious. It's like a parody of itself. Truly classic Southern Illinois!!

[joee]

I'll take the so called southern illinois redneck backwards people anyday over the stuffed shirt, stick a knife in your back upper state