Iowa Nice vs Iowa Blunt (Benton: farmer, cars, gas)

[capitalcityguy]

Originally Posted by bjrush

I couldn't have had a more opposite experience in Iowa. If you don't do what the other 50 kids in your graduating class do, you are pretty much shunned. "Live and let live" seems very opposite to the nosiness I experienced in small town Iowa, everyone had opinions about how everyone else was doing everything wrong and they always know best.

Pretty much switch north and south in your post and it matches my experiences exactly

I'd suggest not limiting one's perception of an entire state to experiences had during high school in one specific small town. That seems a bit limiting to me.

[duster1979]

Originally Posted by capitalcityguy

I'd suggest not limiting one's perception of an entire state to experiences had during high school in one specific small town. That seems a bit limiting to me.

BINGO!

There are 361 Public school districts in Iowa. To assume that the experience in all 361 districts would be exactly the same is rather ludicrous. Besides, I'm pretty sure that there's at least one person who feels like an outsider at every single school district in the country.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by duster1979

BINGO!

There are 361 Public school districts in Iowa. To assume that the experience in all 361 districts would be exactly the same is rather ludicrous. Besides, I'm pretty sure that there's at least one person who feels like an outsider at every single school district in the country.

Isn't that what high school is all about? Feeling like an outsider?

[jmgg]

My kid has taught at 3 different high schools in Iowa and what he experienced between all 3 is totally diverse. There are good people and jerks no matter where you go. Some towns/schools just happen to have a lot more of one or the other consistently.

[runewell]

Originally Posted by Fleur66

Where are you getting your figures that no one moves "to" Iowa?

The rural areas might be in decline, but the suburbs of Des Moines have experienced strong growth. It might be a tad overbuilt after the economic decline.

[capitalcityguy]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

Isn't that what high school is all about? Feeling like an outsider?

Yes, that would be my other counterpoint.

Heck....take any movie that is set in a high school and either the plot or subplot within it probably has something to do with kid or kid(s) not fitting in or feeling like an outsider.

Good grief, does bjrush think we invented that in Iowa??

[bjrush]

Whatever, typical Iowan response to shrug it off. The sameness that is expected is mind boggling. It goes for families too: if you are one of the "Johnson boys" you will be a drunk. The "Smith girls" are all stuck up. The "Stevens kids" are all aggressive. This goes on well into adulthood, in fact the "Smith girls" could be in their 80s and this type of comment will still come up.

In case you haven't noticed, in small town Iowa, high school is all that is going on. The football team runs the town and the school play is the major fine arts experience for the year. Move out there "capitalcityguy" (a name that seems to indicate a lack of experience about the areas I am describing) and let me know if I am far off base. What year you graduated pretty much dictates your social life for the rest of your life where I come from

I have never experienced this level of "expected sameness" anywhere else. Happy to hear about others' experiences with from social butterflies in small town Iowa

[tollfree]

While even I don't completely agree with Mr. Rush...there is definitely a "high school" element you find in Iowa that is stronger than most places.

In Des Moines for example, there is a certain insularity factor because the vast majority are from Iowa, whether moved there recently or not (excluding immigrants). Do you meet people from other parts of the US? Yes, you do. Nothing like a sunbelt city though. Cities like Dallas, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Charlotte, Tampa, Houston, seems like 1/2 the residents moved from elsewhere. Des Moines is not like that at all...if anything, it's extremely Iowa-centric. Even Chicago has somewhat of a midwest insularity factor (especially with the neighboring states), and it's the 3rd biggest in the US.

You will always meet people in Des Moines from other parts of the state...northern Iowa closer to Minneapolis, southwest Iowa closer to Omaha or Kansas City, Southeast Iowa closer to Chicago or St Louis, east/northeast Iowa closer to Chicago or Milwaukee.

For some reason, they seem to congregate in Des Moines more, even with those more major cities closer. Iowa might be the closest thing to a "state tribe" out there in the modern world. The power of the Hawkeyes/Cyclones game (and the obsession with the coaches as deities), or Iowa state fair is truly astounding. I swear, the Register starts EVERY headline with "Iowans this, Iowans that".

[ElleTea]

Don't you get tired of repeating yourself?

Some have this experience in the state, some have that experience in the state. Why argue about it? Who cares?

[tollfree]

Why does this forum exist?