Knoxville and Northern Transpants

[J&Em]

That brought tears to my eyes. I have seen how you have been feeling the last little while and know it must be hard. It seems we have seen so much of the same kind of genuine friendliness here and I am happy you finally got to experience it, too, just wish it could have been under better circumstances. I was saddened to see your daughter needed care and hope that all is well.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by hiknapster

I talk to irate customers on the phone all the time. It's a great way to meet the worst of the worst of an area.

I've been in this business a long time, and have dealt with customers from all over the country, at one point, but since the economy went bad a couple of months ago, I have honestly felt like crying every darn day. The local people have just been brutal.

My daughter had to go to the hospital, today.

Everyone - and I mean everyone - was fantastic.

Anyone that reads a lot of my posts knows that I am pretty neurotic, especially when it comes to my daughter. But from the time I received the first phone call from the hospital, which was yesterday, I have been calm.

It has been like that all day. Great soothing, professional people that handled my daughter with kindness.

Also, I must say that the three members of her anesthesia team were, yes, Yankees, and just as wonderful as everyone else, including Heidi (!) from Iowa.

Then there was the sweet older patient in the waiting room who was bound and determined to talk to me. "Are you waiting for a little girl?" she asked, looking at the baby doll in my arms.

Sister Mary Martha came up behind my husband and me as we were admiring the hospital's original facade. She proceeded to tell us the history of the hospital, then wanted to know what brought us there. She was eyeing that baby doll, too.

I lived in Florida for 11 years, had many encounters with the medical community. The care was callous and unprofessional. We even had a woman that said she would not let us out of the hospital door unless we paid something, even $10. I tried to explain that we didn't have any money.

So one could think that maybe we are treated better now, since we have insurance. That's not the case.

I first encountered St. Mary's hospital when I had no health insurance. They took me in, correctly diagnosed me in ten minutes, while the Florida doctors could not, and worked with me on the bill.

Today I had my faith restored in Knoxville.

But I think I may need to find a new job.

Before I go on I must say Hik, I hope with all my heart your child is ok, or if not will be soon!!! We have issues with our son so nothing hits me more than something wrong with a child....
That being said, we here in NW Montana are seeing the same things as y'all have been in the south. Quite a lot of people move here and as soon as they unpack in their McMansions start telling us how they did things where they were from. Now I'll grant them that this place is 20 years behind the times, the good 'ole boy network is alive and well here as is nepotisim and yes it IS backwards in many respects, and while we don't have "the klan" we have militias and white supremasists around. Actually (except for the nuts) that is some of the charm of living here. That being said when you move someplace you can't expect the place to change for you, I tried that long ago and just ended up alienating everyone there and learned that you either take it as it is until you've been there for quite a while or leave.
We have a rather big subdivison up by the ski resort that is filled with ultra rich people not from here who have shown and stated many times what they think of us "villagers" and how much below them we are. But even though we have those "ultra rich" snobs the worst people by far are what you'd call "rich compared to here" people. These are the people that come here with money from out of state from selling a big house and allthough not "really" wealthy try to act like they are but only end up looking pretentious and flashy, or had a BMW or 2 in the driveway of a huge house but little or no furniture. We had several neighborhoods full of these in Atlanta and Charlotte and couldn't get away fast enough. These were the types that thought all the locals were stupid and backwards and needed to be brought into the 21st century.
Who we were really fond of and hung out with were the people who called Aluminum foil "metal paper" and had "metal houses" in their yards (garden sheds). Yes they talked and acted slower than what we were used to and you could easily think they were stupid if you didn't bother to spend time listening but we found they had a better grip on life then all of the high living neighbors we had.
After living in the south many times I can tell people thinking of moving there that Tara doesn't exist and gone with the wind was a movie. If you've never lived in the south before RENT before you buy so you can look around and be sure that the south is for you, please be smart, don't buy there and then complain and moan how bad it is.
Good luck with whatever you choose.....

[weisgarber1]

Originally Posted by jimj

Before I go on I must say Hik, I hope with all my heart your child is ok, or if not will be soon!!! We have issues with our son so nothing hits me more than something wrong with a child....
That being said, we here in NW Montana are seeing the same things as y'all have been in the south. Quite a lot of people move here and as soon as they unpack in their McMansions start telling us how they did things where they were from. Now I'll grant them that this place is 20 years behind the times, the good 'ole boy network is alive and well here as is nepotisim and yes it IS backwards in many respects, and while we don't have "the klan" we have militias and white supremasits around. Actually (except for the nuts) that is some of the charm of living here. That being said when you move someplace you can't expect the place to change for you, I tried that long ago and just ended up alienating everyone there and learned that you either take it as it is until you've been there for quite a while or leave.
We have a rather big subdivison up by the ski resort that is filled with ultra rich people not from here who have shown and stated many times what they think of us "villagers" and how much below them we are.
After living in the south many times I can tell people thinking of moving there that Tara doesn't exist and gone with the wind was a movie. If you've never lived in the south before RENT before you buy so you can look around and be sure that the south is for you.
Good luck with whatever you choose.....

Those are good points, but no matter how many times they are spoken, they do no resonate with some who will not give up their feelings of superiority, in many cases. Or those who just cannot accept that they will not be able to impose their will and ideas on locals.

[hiknapster]

Thanks for all the well wishes. She is fine. She had a dental procedure.

[ddcortland]

Hi GBH,
I hope I haven't offended you somehow. I agree with every word you say here, sadly. I very much WANTED the "southern" way of life.. family, tradition, customs, etc. I was disappointed that there was only one native in the first town we settled in south of Nashville.
I was hoping that a "confession of a Yankee" would be encouraging to southerners who maybe feel we are all about the cash and the dash.
We just aint... I was raised in the projects but I am a country girl through and through. I can't even explain that one!

Originally Posted by goodbyehollywood

People always want the South to fulfill their vision of what they think it should be, then feel cheated and let down when it doesn't meet their expectations. That would be like me going to Manhattan and thinking I could actually afford to rent the Friends apartment on an office worker's salary. Or being able to live on Melrose Place if I were less than a millionaire. Or believing the real OC is anything like Mischa Barton's.

Those ladies sipping mint juleps in wicker chairs on the veranda really are gone with the wind. Today's steel magnolias are running the businesses that make the chairs or managing the restaurants that mix the juleps... and more power to them! And they're just as likely to be in Chicago, Boston or San Francisco as they are in Knoxville, 'Lanta or Raleigh... and their place on the porch is just as likely to be filled by less-than-charming transplants, who speak fast and drawless, drive even faster (even in the snow!) and wear Yankees ball caps that Southerners take at face value. In other words, times move on and transplants move in, and a way of life becomes a new way of life.

Charm may go a long way, but financial independence and an early retirement go a lot further. My momma taught me that before I even knew what a mint julep was. As for the rude transplants, trust me, Southerners don't like it-- or find it any more charming-- than you do. Welcome to the New South! Pull up a chair, sit down and stay awhile.

[SmokyMtnGal]

Originally Posted by goodbyehollywood

People always want the South to fulfill their vision of what they think it should be, then feel cheated and let down when it doesn't meet their expectations. That would be like me going to Manhattan and thinking I could actually afford to rent the Friends apartment on an office worker's salary. Or being able to live on Melrose Place if I were less than a millionaire. Or believing the real OC is anything like Mischa Barton's.

Those ladies sipping mint juleps in wicker chairs on the veranda really are gone with the wind. Today's steel magnolias are running the businesses that make the chairs or managing the restaurants that mix the juleps... and more power to them! And they're just as likely to be in Chicago, Boston or San Francisco as they are in Knoxville, 'Lanta or Raleigh... and their place on the porch is just as likely to be filled by less-than-charming transplants, who speak fast and drawless, drive even faster (even in the snow!) and wear Yankees ball caps that Southerners take at face value. In other words, times move on and transplants move in, and a way of life becomes a new way of life.

Charm may go a long way, but financial independence and an early retirement go a lot further. My momma taught me that before I even knew what a mint julep was. As for the rude transplants, trust me, Southerners don't like it-- or find it any more charming-- than you do. Welcome to the New South! Pull up a chair, sit down and stay awhile.

Another great post GBH. I agree with your every word. Cheers!

[LauraC]

Originally Posted by ddcortland

Hi GBH,
I hope I haven't offended you somehow. I agree with every word you say here, sadly. I very much WANTED the "southern" way of life.. family, tradition, customs, etc. I was disappointed that there was only one native in the first town we settled in south of Nashville.
I was hoping that a "confession of a Yankee" would be encouraging to southerners who maybe feel we are all about the cash and the dash.
We just aint... I was raised in the projects but I am a country girl through and through. I can't even explain that one!

I have been a little disappointed that I haven't seen more southern culture here. I came here for that culture. Most of the people I've met are from someplace else. I've spent my first 9 months here just settling in and finding things/getting around and enjoying the beauty. I've had to go to "events" to find what I'm looking for (food/music/people). I intend to spend my next year here getting a little more entrenched, not so much in my town but in my area.

But, I still have no intention of doing that in Knoxville. C'mon, it's a big city! It's a lib magnet for transplants. That's what cities are. It's like lookin' for love in all the wrong places.