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OP, you wrote it clearly enough for me to understand and all I have to say is, You Are Absolutely Right! And I mean that in a literal way. I get the metaphor part.
I eat 1/2 a grapefruit every day. If I had to pay $1.55, I'd be in the poorhouse in no time.
Point well-made.
Sometimes I don't realize how many pages posts have until afterwards - this one has 30! It's going to take me a lifetime to catch up on this one thread. Any way, my response is from after reading the first page.
I concur with everyone's admonition to do the research before making a life-changing decision to move to a new state. However, Missouri doesn't hold the corner of the market for places that are difficult for people to learn a different culture(s). Having moved around the states a couple of dozen times myself, I understand what it can be like to adapt to a new way of life. Hence, the reason why I am fully aware of the decision to move back to the Midwest.
My home state is Illinois, though I'm more than a little ashamed to admit it. It is not the same state that I was born and raised in. The political environment, burdensome legislation, coupled with ever increasing taxes, make it impossible for me to give a second thought to moving back there. So, my husband and I made a prioritized list of criteria we desired, then applied that list to 5 different states. Politics, laws, cost of living, climate, opportunities that better fit the way of life for my children, and freedom to raise one's family as they see fit, were at the top of that list. Missouri kept popping up to the top of that list consistently.
Once it was agreed upon that Missouri was beating out the other states, we poured many hours into as many aspects of various areas in Missouri as possible. My husband put in for a transfer and was accepted. We then took time to make a couple of trips out to see for ourselves what it looked like in real life. I will admit that it was an eye-opener, but it wasn't disappointing enough to have us reconsider continuing our venture.
I feel as though I can safely say that I am not a modern day nomad that expects to find everything they want in any given place. It is fully understood that my way of doing things, may not necessarily be accepted, much less embraced. I'm more than okay with that. Really. If it means anchoring down and living life as a lone pioneer family, I have no doubt that we can do it. This doesn't mean that we won't join the American Legion, various horse activities, and enroll in other things that might be appealing to the wide age range of members in my family. It's just that we aren't going into this with the expectation of having the people in the area where we move to conform to us and vice versa. It will be what it will be.
This doesn't mean that we won't join the American Legion, various horse activities, and enroll in other things that might be appealing to the wide age range of members in my family. It's just that we aren't going into this with the expectation of having the people in the area where we move to conform to us and vice versa. It will be what it will be.
Good attitude. If you're coming to Rolla, you'll fit in fine. Rolla is full of transplants. Lots of them are snooty. They are associated with the University or Brewer Science. They generally leave Rolla to go shopping in St. Louis every Saturday. They participate in local activities if they get attention for doing it. With a few exceptions, they look down their noses at the rest of us.
Others are not snooty. They work hard to be regular folks. You sound like one of them.
Good attitude. If you're coming to Rolla, you'll fit in fine. Rolla is full of transplants. Lots of them are snooty. They are associated with the University or Brewer Science. They generally leave Rolla to go shopping in St. Louis every Saturday. They participate in local activities if they get attention for doing it. With a few exceptions, they look down their noses at the rest of us.
Others are not snooty. They work hard to be regular folks. You sound like one of them.
This is a true assessment. I attend the university but I fit in with the local folks much more than the college kids. I laugh every time a so called "townie" gives them a bunch of **** but yet I've never had any trouble with the locals. Rolla is a pretty neat place to live by & lots to do when it comes to hunting and fishing.
This is a true assessment. I attend the university but I fit in with the local folks much more than the college kids. I laugh every time a so called "townie" gives them a bunch of **** but yet I've never had any trouble with the locals. Rolla is a pretty neat place to live by & lots to do when it comes to hunting and fishing.
Glad to hear you like Rolla. Most students don't. Most professors don't. It's Saturday, and Rolla is mighty quiet. My wife and I went out to eat and the restaurant was more than half empty. I told my wife it's because Rolla empties on the weekends. The trendy people go to St. Louis to shop. We rednecks stay home and work.
I've heard lots of newcomers, short-timers and visitors whine that there's nothing to do in Rolla. There's more than enough to keep me busy, but I guess as a simple Ozarks Boy, I don't have the intellectual and social capacity to understand what I've missed all my life in small towns.
There's hunting and fishing, as you mentioned.
There's always my lawn, garden and old house to work on.
The university has several activities throughout the year that I'm interested in attending.
The public schools have concerts, plays, art shows, and it's always good to go and support those kids by being present.
It's getting close to football season, so both the high school and the university will have games on Fridays and Saturdays to go to or listen to on the radio and then talk about the next day and the following week.
My church keeps my attention with weekly services, plus special events from time to time throughout the year.
There are several jam sessions/music parties throughout the month that are open to the public.
We don't have a mall. We don't have a Starbucks. We don't have a race track. We don't have lots of things that newcomers, transplants, visitors want. If we had everything that they want, we'd be a huge city, and I'd have to move. I was here first. They knew what this place had and what it didn't have before they moved here. So screw'em.
I like Rolla as it is. I'm not much for growth and ruination. I'm not progressive.
It's getting close to football season, so both the high school and the university will have games on Fridays and Saturdays to go to or listen to on the radio and then talk about the next day and the following week.
OB, be sure to attend at least one of the high school football games this year, and cheer loudly for the marching band...my younger daughter will be one of the drum majors.
Glad to hear you like Rolla. Most students don't. Most professors don't. It's Saturday, and Rolla is mighty quiet. My wife and I went out to eat and the restaurant was more than half empty. I told my wife it's because Rolla empties on the weekends. The trendy people go to St. Louis to shop. We rednecks stay home and work.
I've heard lots of newcomers, short-timers and visitors whine that there's nothing to do in Rolla. There's more than enough to keep me busy, but I guess as a simple Ozarks Boy, I don't have the intellectual and social capacity to understand what I've missed all my life in small towns.
There's hunting and fishing, as you mentioned.
There's always my lawn, garden and old house to work on.
The university has several activities throughout the year that I'm interested in attending.
The public schools have concerts, plays, art shows, and it's always good to go and support those kids by being present.
It's getting close to football season, so both the high school and the university will have games on Fridays and Saturdays to go to or listen to on the radio and then talk about the next day and the following week.
My church keeps my attention with weekly services, plus special events from time to time throughout the year.
There are several jam sessions/music parties throughout the month that are open to the public.
We don't have a mall. We don't have a Starbucks. We don't have a race track. We don't have lots of things that newcomers, transplants, visitors want. If we had everything that they want, we'd be a huge city, and I'd have to move. I was here first. They knew what this place had and what it didn't have before they moved here. So screw'em.
I like Rolla as it is. I'm not much for growth and ruination. I'm not progressive.
Yeah I wish I had more money to do some huntin and fishin but you know how that goes. I'm bringin my fishin stuff though, hope to have a few fish frys this fall. I do wish Rolla had a racetrack though
Speaking of football, I think I remember us playin Rolla one time while I was in HS a few years back.
. I'm bringin my fishin stuff though, hope to have a few fish frys this fall. .
Ahh yeah we had us a really nice Bream\Crappie fry when I was back last month..
One morning we got up and went trout fishing, came back with a limit by 8am, by 9am we were eating breakfast of fresh caught trout, Elk Sausage, fried eggs, hashbrowns, and bisquits....
I cringe whenever I read a new post from someone in another state saying they want to move to Missouri because they drove through here a couple of times and just loved the place. I know many of you do, too, because I've read your cautionary rebuttals urging those folks to visit several times, preferably in different seasons, to make sure there's a "fit."
There are so many things to consider before you leave your home state and move to Missouri--or any other state. Even the quality and freshness of avocados and the price of grapefruit should be taken into account, as this post, which I found on the Arkansas forum, attests:
The moral: Do lots of research. Investigate everything. Make sure you REALLY want to give up everything that's available in your home state and city.
Yup. I'm sure it can be culture shock for people coming to Missouri and not realizing what they are getting into. I was born in Missouri and raised in Kansas/Missouri my whole life, but in the Kansas City area, and the different feel of southern Missouri is something I have wrestled with all my life -wanting to embrace it, but finding it difficult to do so. My dad was born in Laclede County and my ancestors were all in Laclede County. My parents moved back down to that area after retirement (Douglas and Wright County). When I would go to visit I enjoyed the scenery and the slower pace, but always glad to get back to KC. Now my parents are gone and I am considering buying land that was in the family dating back to 1810. But I really don't know if I could live down there. I like the idea of it, but in reality I don't know if I could do it. Even though it's only 3-1/2 to 4 hours from KC, it's a whole different lifestyle down there. And you would think Springfield would make it okay, but it doesn't. Springfield is not KC. I guess I feel so out of touch and isolated down there. I miss the faster pace of Kansas City. Well water tastes funny to me. Southern Missouri is beautiful and as I said, I want to embrace it - but not sure I'd really be able to hack it. My parents did it and loved it, but they both grew up in the Ozarks. I guess they ruined me/citified me by raising me in Kansas City, and even worse - Johnson County!
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