What is Missouri "REALLY" like? (Ozark, Greenwood: attorney, school)

[aragx6]

Holy crap I love Cooper's Landing

[Curmudgeon]

Wendy, I can't help you regarding where in MO to consider moving as we're researching it ourselve s, planning a lengthy trip back in the spring and likely moving there shortly thereafter.

I looked over your site. Fascinating! What an education for your children. You and my wife would likely get along extremely well, especially given your obvious passion for pregnancy/childbirth issues. She's an original 60s hippie from California who taught the first certification courses on natural childbirth at the U. of Arkansas in the early 70s and apprenticed as a midwife near Eureka Springs. After retrurning to California in the late 70s as a journeyman midwife she spent the next seven years delivering hundreds of babies at homes in the foothill areas from Sacramentoi to Lake Tahoe and throughout Gold Country. Sadly, with two children of her own who's father was a total deadbeat, both before and after she divorced him, she had to seek steadier income and benefits so she left the field she loved.

As for me, I'm just an old retiree of the state (as is my wife), Viet Nam veteran Army officer and former narcotics agent. Who/what better to be married to a "freak," right?

Can't wait to see where you end up. Thanks for posting!

[OA 5599]

Originally Posted by cyrano

Especially outside of Springfield, you're talking about places where not many new people move, so they're naturally suspicious of strangers-- and the stranger you are, the more suspicious they're going to be. I'll probably get flamed for saying this, but in my observation, that's the Ozarks. They were that way at the turn of the last century and they're that way now. You can find several threads on this board where people rail against new folks moving into the area, wanting to change things. It's also a very poor area, which brings its own issues, and (in my opinion) tends to make people even more conservative.

While the area is overwhelmingly conservative and non-open-minded, not everyone there is like that. If you look at the voting records for the last election, Obama won 30-40% of the vote in every one of the counties in the Ozarks east of Springfield (he won a lot less in SW MO). Even Shannon County - the poorest and one of the most isolated counties in the entire state - gave Obama 43% of the vote. You definitely wouldn't guess that driving through the area, as probably 90% of the election signs were for McCain.

However, it is definitely not an area where you want to openly broadcast leftist views or be a "freak". Most people I know in the area who have views that don't conform with the norm tend to keep them to themselves. If you dress strange you'll get strange looks from people and they may pass judgment on you.

To the OP, if you can't tolerate a place where the majority of the people, but not everyone, are Protestant and quite socially conservative, don't move there. I grew up there and my views certainly do not fit the norm for the area, but due to that I also learned to be tolerant of the religious and political views of others that don't agree with my own. It is definitely going to take some tolerance on your part of the common views of the area if you want to live in southern Missouri. If you think you can do that, the area offers a lot in the way of natural beauty and solitude and you will probably like it there.

[Silvermouse]

Originally Posted by OA 5599

Even Shannon County - the poorest and one of the most isolated counties in the entire state - gave Obama 43% of the vote. You definitely wouldn't guess that driving through the area, as probably 90% of the election signs were for McCain.

Even at that, they are likely social conservatives.

[cyrano]

I think the later novels of Daniel Woodrell, who hails from West Plains and moved back there, are required reading for anyone considering living in southern Missouri. He describes the area better than anything I've ever seen.

[ShadowCaver]

Just to give you a quick flavour of some diversity w/in the state [if you've not already seen these]:
Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage | Sustainable Community Living
East Wind Community - Home, and article in NG here: Tecumseh, Missouri, Not Quite Utopia - National Geographic Magazine

In StL proper, if find your way rambling through that fine city, might take a gander at the University City Loop, and South Grand Avenue in southern part of town. A town in the upper swamp-east part of the state, Cape Girardeau also has a reputation for being friendly & tolerant.

Now, in a more general air, chiming in related to some of the comments so far here... yea Missouri as a whole, and beloved Ozarks specifically, may be more conservative nature, but IMHO its not a pigeonhole that ya can place everyone into here [like just about anywhere for that matter too]. There may be a McCain sign out front, but would bet that often enough to surprise that the person who put it there is not just some redneck beer swilling gun-toting fool [not that there is anything wrong w/ that... well, swilling beer while toting a firearm, not so good mix, but still, ya get the idea ]. Point is, we are all complex souls...

Anyhow, best to ya, sounds - wish ya best, and hope to 'see' ya here some more.

Oh, almost forgot - if in the area during any of the events herein: http://www.campzoe.com/events.html

[ozarksboy]

Originally Posted by Wendy Lombardi

Ava/Mansfield whose churches are launching an all-out "attack" on a nearby gay campground.

What in sam hill is a gay campground?
If it's what it sounds like, it might be the only reason I would support countywide zoning.
And thank God for the Ava/Mansfield churches.

[Hillman]

Originally Posted by ozarksboy

What in sam hill is a gay campground?
If it's what it sounds like, it might be the only reason I would support countywide zoning.
And thank God for the Ava/Mansfield churches.

I second that!I know around here hard telling what would happen to them,probably just get burned out.

Hey ozarkboy I was up your way over the weekend got plenty of snow.

hillman

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by ozarksboy

What in sam hill is a gay campground?

Either a very happy one, the original meaning of the word, or one in which same-sex pairings likely occur -- rather reminiscent of the California Legislature.

[OA 5599]

Originally Posted by ShadowCaver

Just to give you a quick flavour of some diversity w/in the state [if you've not already seen these]:
Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage | Sustainable Community Living
East Wind Community - Home, and article in NG here: Tecumseh, Missouri, Not Quite Utopia - National Geographic Magazine

In StL proper, if find your way rambling through that fine city, might take a gander at the University City Loop, and South Grand Avenue in southern part of town. A town in the upper swamp-east part of the state, Cape Girardeau also has a reputation for being friendly & tolerant.

Now, in a more general air, chiming in related to some of the comments so far here... yea Missouri as a whole, and beloved Ozarks specifically, may be more conservative nature, but IMHO its not a pigeonhole that ya can place everyone into here [like just about anywhere for that matter too]. There may be a McCain sign out front, but would bet that often enough to surprise that the person who put it there is not just some redneck beer swilling gun-toting fool [not that there is anything wrong w/ that... well, swilling beer while toting a firearm, not so good mix, but still, ya get the idea ]. Point is, we are all complex souls...

Anyhow, best to ya, sounds - wish ya best, and hope to 'see' ya here some more.

Oh, almost forgot - if in the area during any of the events herein: http://www.campzoe.com/events.html

Great links ShadowCaver...and some proof that the hippie spirit does indeed exist in the Ozarks and even northern Missouri! Those East Wind Nut Butters sure are pretty tasty, and I've heard some crazy stories about what can go on during some of those festivals at Camp Zoe, although I have yet to go myself.