[magellan]

Originally Posted by Giesela

I don't understand the question. Self-loathing implies that the residents of Michigan loath themselves.
????
Or are you saying that the residents of Michigan loath the state? Cuz I don't think that's true at all. Upset about the auto job thing thats been spiriling since the 70s and nothing seems to be able to turn it all around...sure. But I don't think they loath Michigan.

Maybe they have gotten to the point where it seems like its all negative whining, ok. Hard not to be when you've been unemployed for a long time.

Regardless Michiganders have a totally different cultural mind set than say Texas where all anyone does is go on about Texas greatness. Not sure I want to be that but a little more in that direction could be good.

Thank you! Texans drive we crazy with their over-the-top attitudes.

[SeattleTransplant97]

Originally Posted by Midas AG

While I don't hate Michigan, I don't love it either. Its been my home for 27 years now, and I am moving in 4 days to Seattle. .

I moved by myself to Seattle from Michigan 12 years ago. You should think twice before moving to Seattle. It's beautiful here in the summer and there's a lot to do, but the people are not Michiganders. They're polite, but very difficult to get to know. They keep to themselves and their already established circle of friends. The attitude is I have enough friends already, and I have been told that directly. Transplants tend to befriend transplants. People seem uncomfortable if you greet them or suggest doing some activity together. They may agree that you should get together sometime, but will rarely follow through. Natives have been described by many as being pretentious, anti-social, and passive-aggressive. Directness is not a virtue here.

The worst part is you start to act like the natives, because you've been slapped down so many times.

I have lived in Midland, Freeland, Mt. Pleasant, Reese, Battle Creek, and Ann Arbor and never had any difficulty making friends until I move to Seattle. If you think it's just my opinion, check out "Official Seattle Freeze Discussion Thread". Another good read is a Pacific NW Magazine article:

[SIZE=1][SIZE=3] Beyond the smiles, the Seattle Freeze is on: Our Social Disease[/SIZE][/SIZE]
The Seattle Times: Pacific Northwest Magazine : Our Social Disease

Cost of living is a shock to anyone from the Midwest. Traffic is horrible. I'm sure you know all about the rain, but check out our latitude. There aren't very many daylight hours in the winter.

Why am I still here? My husband won't leave. I really wish I could move back to Michigan.

Good luck to you. I just thought you should have some idea what's waiting for you.

[miniature]

If you stay out of the big cities almost everyone will tell you that Michigan is great. I grew up there and lived there most of my life. I have traveled and lived all over this country for years now. I am now in south Florida. I have been here 3 yrs now. I have a plane ticket in a week to go back to Michigan and I can't wait to go.
The weather may suck, the jobs may be scarse, but I will gladly trade the sunshine state for Michigan.

[Tiger Beer]

I'm from Michigan and I never met a self-loathing Michigander.

They love their Great Lakes and all their Detroit teams - Pistons, Red Wings, and Tiger too much (yeah, I left out the Lions).

Personally I think they should seriously QUESTION their loyalty to the state, but few do. Never met a self-loather though. I wish I had, because the intense loyalty to the State I generally find to be a bit wearing.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by magellan

Thank you! Texans drive we crazy with their over-the-top attitudes.

Texans are very nice and helpful people but only after they remind you that you're a yankee and will always be a yankee. Then they go out of their way to help you.

[PeaceChild]

Originally Posted by malamute

Texans are very nice and helpful people but only after they remind you that you're a yankee and will always be a yankee. Then they go out of their way to help you.

Give me a break. I for one, am proud to be a Yankee, just like you are proud to be from the South. Nobody has to remind us of that fact. We know it already.

[timeofseasons]

Its my city local hospital ( Sparrow Hospital- Lansing Michigan) driving me away from the state.

[LIS123]

Originally Posted by Northman

I lived in Boston for a while. A LOT of the people I met there hate their city and state. Was very suprised by that, because I thought Boston was a wonderful place.

I loathe Michigan's city and state governments, but only because I love the state itself so much and it kills me to see what's happening to it.

A lot of 'hating' a state is hating its Government. Why do you think people have been leaving the Northeast United States left and right? Because of the Government. I don't think anywhere near that many people would leave these states were it not for poor Government policies.

[Sparrow_temp]

Most people outside of the big cities have never lived outside of MI. Nevertheless, a lot of them are beginning to see that the grass is actually greener elsewhere. There used to be manufacturing plants in a lot of the smaller towns which kept people around so they could make a reasonable living. Most of them have now closed. The next alternative was to move to the larger cities to make a living but still be within driving distance of their roots. The economy has been so bad in MI for so long that people are simply leaving the state completely.

I'm beginning to question the viability of a lot of the smaller cities in MI. There's a tourism industry that focused mainly around people from the big cities in the south but with the auto industry so sick this may be severely reduced. The other employment bases are the schools, hospitals, and utilities. I believe the demographics will show that the population is mainly older -- senior citizens. The youth were unable to find jobs and moved on.
The housing boom kept things going for a while via the construction industry but what now???

People have loyalty to their town and state but without jobs -- people have to leave. And once they leave, they adapt to whatever area they've moved to and don't come back.

Originally Posted by miniature

If you stay out of the big cities almost everyone will tell you that Michigan is great. I grew up there and lived there most of my life. I have traveled and lived all over this country for years now. I am now in south Florida. I have been here 3 yrs now. I have a plane ticket in a week to go back to Michigan and I can't wait to go.
The weather may suck, the jobs may be scarse, but I will gladly trade the sunshine state for Michigan.

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by Sparrow_temp

Most people outside of the big cities have never lived outside of MI. Nevertheless, a lot of them are beginning to see that the grass is actually greener elsewhere. <snip>

People have loyalty to their town and state but without jobs -- people have to leave. And once they leave, they adapt to whatever area they've moved to and don't come back.

Not always true though. I know a LOT of people from my little home town that couldn't wait to get out and away (me included), that are back and loving it. It took a while for me to realize that the grass was NOT greener elsewhere, and that my small town in Michigan had everything I needed and more. I am not alone in this either. There are many people in my graduating class that left, vowing to never return, and here we are years later raising our families right here where we were as kids ourselves. Some of us went to Texas, some to California, Some to Mass and Maine. I can name almost every other State out there and one of us was there, and are now back here in Michigan, all with jobs (none related to auto), all making a living, and all happier than we were in "greener pastures". Usually a pasture is greener because it has more fertilizer/crap to deal with, not always because it is better.

I think on this forum, the people are more down on our State than in daily lives. Where I am now I don't run into any more or any less people complaining about where they live, than I did in Maine for almost 20 years, or Texas for several years, or any other location and State I have been in.