[Goodpasture]

Originally Posted by yensid

That's when I say really loud (YOU'RE WELCOME!!).

I guess I walk to a different drum. I hold doors open all the time for all kinds of people. Old, young, female, male........everyone. I never actually notice whether or not someone "thanks" me. I don't do it for them, most of them are capable of getting their own doors. I do it for me......it is important to me to be as pleasant, as helpful, and as kind as I can be. There was a time in my life where I could not be like that, and there may very well be a time in the future where I cannot be like that. I do not want to be the kind of person who is indifferent or hurtful to others. I want to hold doors for people, get things off the top shelf at the supermarket, share a table at a crowded restaurant, overtip a car hop at Sonic. I do it because that is the kind of person I want to be.......not for someone's perfunctory thanks..........

[yensid]

Originally Posted by Goodpasture

I guess I walk to a different drum. I hold doors open all the time for all kinds of people. Old, young, female, male........everyone. I never actually notice whether or not someone "thanks" me. I don't do it for them, most of them are capable of getting their own doors. I do it for me......it is important to me to be as pleasant, as helpful, and as kind as I can be. There was a time in my life where I could not be like that, and there may very well be a time in the future where I cannot be like that. I do not want to be the kind of person who is indifferent or hurtful to others. I want to hold doors for people, get things off the top shelf at the supermarket, share a table at a crowded restaurant, overtip a car hop at Sonic. I do it because that is the kind of person I want to be.......not for someone's perfunctory thanks..........

But that isn't the idea. I know where you are coming from and I agree about the wonderful feeling and so many other positives of being kind. For me, I was raised to be kind to others. Yes, I'm a SoCal native (which seems to be some sort of nasty word on this forum), but I was raised going to church and lived with my Dad and Grandparents for a good part of my childhood. I just have this thing where I can't stand people who are rude, hurtful, etc. I don't hold the door to get someone's thanks, but when they don't say thank you, I feel it is rude. I smile at people, open doors, ask if they need help if it looks like they need it, etc. It's common courtesy. Those who don't practice that ....well, they disgust me (I guess is the right term). This may not be the spiritually correct way to feel, but it's me. So yes, I am happy to remind people to be courteous.

[keen cat]

Originally Posted by yensid

But that isn't the idea. I know where you are coming from and I agree about the wonderful feeling and so many other positives of being kind. For me, I was raised to be kind to others. Yes, I'm a SoCal native (which seems to be some sort of nasty word on this forum), but I was raised going to church and lived with my Dad and Grandparents for a good part of my childhood. I just have this thing where I can't stand people who are rude, hurtful, etc. I don't hold the door to get someone's thanks, but when they don't say thank you, I feel it is rude. I smile at people, open doors, ask if they need help if it looks like they need it, etc. It's common courtesy. Those who don't practice that ....well, they disgust me (I guess is the right term). This may not be the spiritually correct way to feel, but it's me. So yes, I am happy to remind people to be courteous.

Amen to that. You took the words right out of my mouth.

[J1ndo]

Why?

1. The cost of living in CA was untenable. I could afford to get by, but not to thrive. I make a decent salary, but it won’t be quadrupling anytime soon.
2. SoCal has become just too crowded. Freeways are clogged at all hours, the water at the beach is dirty from runoff all the time now, and the hiking trails are nearly as congested with mountain bikes as the roads are with cars
3. I was bored with my current lot. I had a chance to transfer within my company to a new job, so I took it.
4. Because I could! I have neither spouse nor children, and my dog is game for anything, so no extensive debate or planning was required.

Why OK?

1. My company has an office here, so it was a pretty easy transfer.
2. The cost of living is fantastically low.
3. It’s centrally located, so I can easily visit other parts of the country at will.
4. I’ve been to OK before, and feel pretty comfortable here.

Any surprises?
Just little things, like TAG agencies, for example. You mean I don’t have to trudge down to the DMV, wait in multiple long lines, get coughed on in line by tubercular people, and be verbally abused by a frustrated civil servant in order to register my car in the new state? Let me sit down for a sec; I’m dizzy.

Also, I knew there’d be churches on every street corner, but I didn’t expect to see headshot photos of bleach-toothed pastors out front of each church. Not a bad thing, I guess, just different, like they’ve borrowed from the Realtor playbook, or something

The Easiest Part of Moving:
Like the other posters have stated, leaving SoCal was the easiest part for me. And that is the great thing about leaving Southern CA: no matter where you go in the continental US (with only one or two exceptions) it will be cheaper and less crowded than where you are now.

What I missed:

1. My family.
2. My old friends.
3. Diverse cuisine with many healthy dining options.
4. At least one vegetarian dishes at every restaurant, even steakhouses.
5. Trader Joes.

How am I doing?
Hard to say. I’ve managed to make some good friends, have some fun adventures, and save a lot of money in my six months here. I’ve house hunted with the strange new knowledge that I could afford one. But, I also discovered that I don’t really want a house right now. And, though I like OK well enough, I think want something different. I’ll be frank in that I’m disappointed more in Oklahoma City than in Oklahoma the state, but complaining isn’t in the spirit of this thread, so I’ll leave it at that.

[mkfarnam]

J1ndo wrote:

Any surprises?
Just little things, like TAG agencies, for example. You mean I don’t have to trudge down to the DMV, wait in multiple long lines, get coughed on in line by tubercular people, and be verbally abused by a frustrated civil servant in order to register my car in the new state? Let me sit down for a sec; I’m dizzy.

When I got to OK. last year, I went to the Tag office and in less than 20 min's I walked out with my new OK. DL, and license plates(rear plates only) for my truck.
You have an option, whether to have a new picture take or your pic, on your Ca, DL transfered over.

[FutureCntryBumpkin]

Jindo, you said it all. I can't wait to get outta here. I could add a few things but most from here know what they are. Have you seen or done much in Tulsa? I liked it much better than OKC.

DL? When I got to Tulsa I had to go the the OK Hwy Patrol for DL, but they looked at the Cali one and gave me a new OK one on the spot. Blew my mind. Tag offices are great. DMV Cali bites!

Okie politeness can't be beat!

[karibear]

I can go one better. I had to call the social security office in McAlister today, and the lady I spoke with was so nice I had to double-check just to make sure I got the right number!

[mkfarnam]

Originally Posted by karibear

I can go one better. I had to call the social security office in McAlister today, and the lady I spoke with was so nice I had to double-check just to make sure I got the right number!

There's been time's that I've had to remind myself that I was'nt in Ca.

[J1ndo]

Originally Posted by FutureCntryBumpkin

Have you seen or done much in Tulsa? I liked it much better than OKC.

Same here! No offense to fans of OKC, but I liked Tulsa better, too.

As for Okies being polite, I whole-heartedly agree. An OK politeness story: I was in the Whole Foods Market in Tulsa, waiting in line, when a police officer came up to me.

Officer: Excuse me, sir, the cashier at the deli is opening her register to check out shoppers. She can take care of you over there.
Me: Huh?
Officer: (in a friendly manner) Come on, follow me; I'll show you where she's at.

And she did. I was in shock. That would never happen in CA.

[mkfarnam]

I have to admit that, when I first got here I was rude to acouple of Okies for being so polite, I thought that thwy were conning me.
LadyRobyn would know one of them: "Kay's Real Estate".
I did apologize and explained how I wasn't used to people being so polite to me.

Like I've said,, there's been times that I've had to remind myself that I was no long in CA.