[michigan83]

Really? The "real world?" Really? I've often thought, gee, if I spend enough time on a construction crew or stocking shelves at Meijer instead of broadening my horizons and my thinking through books and by surrounding myself with people smarter than me, then perhaps the magic of enlightenment will arrive. Instead of learning about the history of problems of the world and attempting to find solutions for them, I should just live ignorantly in the world and hope for the best.

Again... this is an elitist attitude. You are assuming that people can only learn about the World in a college course from some professor who has been in a classroom for 60 years, first as a student and then as an instructor. I'm not so sure.

I have a 4-year degree. I am thankful for many of the things that I learned. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I also have friends, two parents, and many family members with no degree. They teach me things ALL THE TIME. Neither path is better than the other, they are just different. There's benefits to both.

My uneducated relatives are the most judgmental, prejudiced, unambitious, uninspiring people I know. They're also not very happy.

Hate to tell you this, but a college education actually wouldn't cure them.

[magellan]

Ha. The overriding theme of this thread: Michigan people are insular and don't travel much, and the rest of the country and world are cosmopolitan jet-setters solving world hunger and discussing the finer points of existentialism. Anyone who really believes that has REALLY never traveled that much, or the only people they meet when they travel or move are people like them (elitists). From my experience, I would bet 90% of this country's college grads are made up of people who are big fans of The Bachelor, who have worked pretty much the same job for years, have very little desire to climb the corporate ladder, work in giant cube farms, play solitaire half the day on office computers, and would rather play all day on a golf course or update their facebook page rather than crunch spreadsheets all day.

As if these are primarily Michigan traits. Ha! Too funny.

[Bydand]

Well said Magellan and Michigan83. Much better than I was coming up with as a response. Even though I am an educated, well traveled person who has spent more than 20 years living outside of Michigan, my first thought for a post was "go pound sand" but didn't think that would go over well.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by Bydand

Well said Magellan and Michigan83. Much better than I was coming up with as a response. Even though I am an educated, well traveled person who has spent more than 20 years living outside of Michigan, my first thought for a post was "go pound sand" but didn't think that would go over well.

Oh no, you don't want to say that. That will only reinforce that you're just another Michigan dumb lazy mean person. Oh my fragile sensibilities!

As a good friend of mine says about whiners: Grow a pair, would ya!

But in all seriousness, I think that people don't really move to a "state", they move to a "city" or metro area. To try and typify a 90,000 square mile State is not only folly, it's impossible.

[michmoldman]

Magellan is right on. Seems this person only hangs with the people who they share the same feelings and opinions. These people are actually the ones, who most of us normal people, think are totally out of touch with the real world. Are they really trying to say that if you don't travel, then you are kinda an idiot? I would say that 80-90% of the people in this country do not travel from state to state all that much. Although I do feel a bit like Patrick from Spongebob now.

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by magellan

But in all seriousness, I think that people don't really move to a "state", they move to a "city" or metro area. To try and typify a 90,000 square mile State is not only folly, it's impossible.

So true! People tend to forget that while we do have our cities like Detroit, Grand Rapids, Flint... we also have Calumet, DeTour, Empire, McBain, Howard City, etc.... Some have seen the worse Detroit has to offer and feel right in their stand that all of Michigan is a poverty riddled, dump. Others visit places like Ludington and think the entire State is vacationland all the time. Neither is the right view.

Explain Michigan???? Diverse in it's landscapes, peoples, and cultures. Laid-back, and driven. Sleepy, and vibrant. Gritty, and beautiful. Poor, and wealthy. If there is a human state that people can be in, you will find an example here in Michigan I believe, both good and bad. It is such an open ended question that it really is un-answerable. 96,700+ square miles, of which almost 40,000 square miles is water; how can anyone explain what that is comprehensively?

[michigan83]

Ha. The overriding theme of this thread: Michigan people are insular and don't travel much, and the rest of the country and world are cosmopolitan jet-setters solving world hunger and discussing the finer points of existentialism. Anyone who really believes that has REALLY never traveled that much, or the only people they meet when they travel or move are people like them (elitists). From my experience, I would bet 90% of this country's college grads are made up of people who are big fans of The Bachelor, who have worked pretty much the same job for years, have very little desire to climb the corporate ladder, work in giant cube farms, play solitaire half the day on office computers, and would rather play all day on a golf course or update their facebook page rather than crunch spreadsheets all day.

As if these are primarily Michigan traits. Ha! Too funny.

Magellan! Nice! Better and more concise than the responses I was mustering.

I forgive you for the couple of times that you scolded me for hijacking threads.

[deslok]

None of my friends will hold the same job for years and years after graduating college. Most of the people I know of that have this distinction are aged 40 and older, well settled into their careers and families.
While this person may hang out with people only of his same thoughts and feelings, it does not sound as if many of you do any different. It just seems as though you have different opinions on the subject. One example would be what constitutes a "normal" Michigan person. Who are any of you to judge what is and what is not normal?
I do agree that people move to a geographic area as opposed to a state. I think Bydand said it best, how do you describe a state? East, west, North, South all operate very differently and have a very different group of people living there.

[darstar]

It is too bad Michigan has got a reputation , that equals some place like SC , or MS. The Auto problems have fueled that , and rightly so , but , ALL of Michigan , is not just Detroit , or Flint. Getting a home mortgage is becoming a real problem in Michigan, a lot of lenders , are just writing off the whole State as a no loan state.... We need to change that image.

[MittenDweller82]

Originally Posted by michigan83

Good Lord. There's still 10,000,000 people living here. Yes, a ton are leaving, but you are being ridiculous.

The WORST thing about your post is that you are painting a state of 10,000,000 residents with such a broad brush. Everyone on this forum loves to make generalizations (which are useful, to an extent). But there is a point where you simply cannot make a blanket statement about an entire state. Any state. There is an enormous variety of viewpoints and lifestyles here, just like anywhere else.

So, please... get off your high horse. I've been to about 30 other states. I've traveled outside the U.S. I like it here. There's a few million others that do too. Please let go of your bitterness, whatever the source may be.

For a moment I had to wonder as to who you were responding to, perhaps you had a lapse of judgment, but as it seems you didn't truly "read" my post, rather you are more interested in spouting bitterness of your own that is truly intelligable. However, if we revisit what I said, and may I qoute your "10,000,000 residents with a broad brush" line..where is that noted in any line of my writing? That is quite an accusation, and to not have any cited examples of what your referring to, how is it possible for one to make a well rounded refutation...as what you have written is pure emotion, not fact.

I certainly dont go through this life claiming to know who is or isn't on a "high horse", nor do I care to judge anyone for that affect, I simply stated my opinion based on my experiences, and quite obviously its extremely hard for you to swallow diversity (hey, aren't you proving the OP with your rant?) and with that I can see why you can't accept others opinions.

You Wrote:

"But there is a point where you simply cannot make a blanket statement about an entire state. Any state. There is an enormous variety of viewpoints and lifestyles here, just like anywhere else."

Once again, no where in my writing did I state "every individual in Michigan is subordanate, un-intelligent, and backwards", in fact I said nothing remotely close to your claim.

You also wrote:

So, please... get off your high horse. I've been to about 30 other states. I've traveled outside the U.S. I like it here. There's a few million others that do too. Please let go of your bitterness, whatever the source may be

I'm glad you've had the opportunity to travel, and congratulations on enjoying Michigan, no one is telling you that isn't possible..but can you open your mind to the thought that just MAYBE, there are those who have different view points than you? Perhaps you should re-think the meaning of the word "bitterness", as you obviously have a paragraph fuled by it. Why go through life making a mountain out of a mole hill? The next time you decide to disect anothers writing, I suggest you prepare at least a marginable refutation that holds some sort of sway, instead of injecting mindless emotion.

Cheers