What do Mississippians Think of Californians? (Tupelo, Pearl: salons, lawyers, employment)

[nancy thereader]

Please try to get back to the topic : What do Mississippians think about Californians ?

[An Einnseanair]

Originally Posted by nancy thereader

Please try to get back to the topic : What do Mississippians think about Californians ?

Based on the first post, more generally, what could happen if a California family moves to Mississippi?

Seadory, any plans to come visit our fair state? I understand that other states are still on the table, and your potential move is still a few years away, but seeing it in person is much more informative that discussing it in cold text on an internet forum with strangers.

Also, when you come, plan on visiting a variety of areas. While Mississippi is almost as small as your biggest county (San Bernadino), the differences are vast. From the pancake-flat land and abject poverty of the Delta to the Pine Hills to the Coastal Plain to the Red Clay Hills, we definitely have variety. From "urban" (at least what we call urban: Jackson, and Southhaven which is basically a suburb of Memphis) to completely and totally rural without even cell service. From genteel traditional Southern class and antebellum homes to extreme religious fervor to nouveau-riche champagne parties to meth houses and chicken fighting (along with eveything in between).

[Seadory]

Yes I am planning a visit in the not too distant future. I want to personalize this online experience, hear real voices and see the things you've described.

Under the circumstances this forum has served me well. And while it may sound strange, I think, hope, I'm a better person for reading these posts. At the very least, I'll be alert to how I behave myself when I visit. If I'm not received with open arms I"ll know why.

If I meet just a couple of people who are half as nice as you've described, I'll be pleased.

What would happen if a CAlifornia family moved to Mississippi? Depending on the family, it could be an unmitigated disaster, or a complete success. Another friend of ours flatly refuses to accompany his wife anymore when she visits her family in W. VA. He returns simply overwrought and agitated. He claims that they move too slow—procrastinate. He needs to stay here in Gotham City where the pace is...I guess it's much more hectic.

[sammyreynolds1977]

We are slow here compared to California. But you have to consider that's because of the size of the state. Los Angeles has more than the entire state of Mississippi.

[Seadory]

Originally Posted by sammyreynolds1977

We are slow here compared to California. But you have to consider that's because of the size of the state. Los Angeles has more than the entire state of Mississippi.

I just read that in 2012 the City of Los Angeles had an estimated 3,857,799 people. According to wiki. L.A. has a GMP of $831 billion—3rd largest in the world. Simply mind-boggling. Probably an entirely different lifestyle than MS. I'm more than certain that it isn't a very healthy one at that. There's a high price to pay for living in such crowded places as L.A.

Some people thrive here, but I'm finding that the older I get, the more uninviting L.A. becomes.

[An Einnseanair]

Saw an article being passed around on Facebook by my Mississippi relatives and thought of this thread:

Moving to Mississippi: Demystifying a Most Misunderstood State

Incidentally, to answer the first question in the article, most large grocery stores carry tofu, but to get fresh tofu you may have to make your own at home from soybeans. You can also get fresh soy milk that way.

[Seadory]

Originally Posted by jwkilgore

Saw an article being passed around on Facebook by my Mississippi relatives and thought of this thread:

Moving to Mississippi: Demystifying a Most Misunderstood State

Incidentally, to answer the first question in the article, most large grocery stores carry tofu, but to get fresh tofu you may have to make your own at home from soybeans. You can also get fresh soy milk that way.

It's my opinion that Californians cling tenaciously to Mississippi's legacy of racism because it validates their own notions of intellectual and moral superiority. This statement does not apply to all Californians.

I was recently told by a business associate and native of Arkansas that, "Mississippians will give you the shirt off their backs." He then added, "They're nothing like you." Pray tell what did that mean? Is my demeanor so different than that of a Southerner? Do I look altogether different than someone from Arkansas or Tennessee? I guess I'll find out soon enough! Uh oh.

I don't see myself as selfish. Perhaps it's time for a little self examination.

[Seadory]

After a solid 30 minutes of introspection I've concluded that I'll fit in just fine. It may just take time for the locals to get to know me. I take pleasure in all kinds of people, and I especially enjoy all sorts of crazy wildlife—including snakes.

[brickpatio]

Your experience may vary depending on where you go, probably. Some places really are different, like say the Coast (lots of military bases, casinos, and seafood industry), Natchez and Vicksburg (historic with a trace of the cotton culture in the best sense), Oxford (collegiate and traditional) or Madison (affluent suburban with lots of those huge $60,000 SUVs, in a good way though). There is also plenty of wealth in places like Columbus, Tupelo, Meridian, and Hattiesburg (Presbyterians who drive BMWs - to use a gross stereotype). But if you go for a regular rural small town, with the beauty described this week (dragonfly water garden surrounded by flowers, plants, and wildlife and temperatures in the upper 60s and a lovely daily walk, etc), then I would guess you would encounter the people who would give you the shirt off their back, the kind of people who have some land and when there is a tornado or something and trees are blocking the roads, they don't wait for the government. They simply roll up their sleeves, bring out their tools and equipment and solve the problem and go on about their business. This is definitely one of the more lovely features of Mississippi's culture, which was notable after Katrina.

[Seadory]

Thank you for your lovely narrative about Mississippi. I am definitely the rural small town type and so is my husband. What Listener described in his yard sounds, to me, like a paradise. We are not flamboyant people and don't enjoy the company of ostentatious folks.

The people you describe sound self-reliant and calm. This is a wonderful human characteristic.