[Goodpasture]

The closest thing to an Austin (where it concerns music proliferation) would have to be Stillwater. There's a reason Garth Brooks and the Red Dirt genre came out of there.

In dealing with those statistics, are there any about how often a stranger will stop on the highway and help change a strangers tire, or how often a neighbor shows up with a fresh baked pie or casserole when someone moves into a neighborhood, or how often a stranger will drive up the drive way to see if you are doing ok when the powers been off for a couple of days?

I recall one time, not all that too many years ago, an Okie farmer's wife had an emergency. An internet friend drove over an hour to take care of the guys livestock while the farmer stayed with his wife in the hospital. To my knowledge, the internet friends STILL have not met face to face. Are there any statistics that track that kind of neighborliness? Or that kind of concern and compassion? Or all the statistics being used simply lay out the number of minutes you have to sit in a waiting room to see a doctor as compared to how much you pay in taxes at the supermarket?

[colleeng47]

Originally Posted by Goodpasture

The closest thing to an Austin (where it concerns music proliferation) would have to be Stillwater. There's a reason Garth Brooks and the Red Dirt genre came out of there.

In dealing with those statistics, are there any about how often a stranger will stop on the highway and help change a strangers tire, or how often a neighbor shows up with a fresh baked pie or casserole when someone moves into a neighborhood, or how often a stranger will drive up the drive way to see if you are doing ok when the powers been off for a couple of days?

I recall one time, not all that too many years ago, an Okie farmer's wife had an emergency. An internet friend drove over an hour to take care of the guys livestock while the farmer stayed with his wife in the hospital. To my knowledge, the internet friends STILL have not met face to face. Are there any statistics that track that kind of neighborliness? Or that kind of concern and compassion? Or all the statistics being used simply lay out the number of minutes you have to sit in a waiting room to see a doctor as compared to how much you pay in taxes at the supermarket?

Well said, GP, I tried to rep you, but I have to "spread" a little bit more. Every neighbour, on both sides, across the street, and behind us have come over to introduce themselves in the short time we're here. I had to call the people we bought the house from to ask a question and she kept me on the phone for about 20 minutes chatting away. (of course, I chatted enough myself ). She told me she was putting the sale of our house in NJ on her prayer list. The lady at the cleaners and our (new) doctor invited us to their churches. You don't find that sort of thing everywhere. Now, some people may not even like it, but I sure do.

[Ted_Foster]

Originally Posted by colleeng47

Well said, GP, I tried to rep you, but I have to "spread" a little bit more. Every neighbour, on both sides, across the street, and behind us have come over to introduce themselves in the short time we're here. I had to call the people we bought the house from to ask a question and she kept me on the phone for about 20 minutes chatting away. (of course, I chatted enough myself ). She told me she was putting the sale of our house in NJ on her prayer list. The lady at the cleaners and our (new) doctor invited us to their churches. You don't find that sort of thing everywhere. Now, some people may not even like it, but I sure do.

Sounds like OK is a good place.

[ogre]

Originally Posted by Goodpasture

The closest thing to an Austin (where it concerns music proliferation) would have to be Stillwater. There's a reason Garth Brooks and the Red Dirt genre came out of there.

In dealing with those statistics, are there any about how often a stranger will stop on the highway and help change a strangers tire, or how often a neighbor shows up with a fresh baked pie or casserole when someone moves into a neighborhood, or how often a stranger will drive up the drive way to see if you are doing ok when the powers been off for a couple of days?

I recall one time, not all that too many years ago, an Okie farmer's wife had an emergency. An internet friend drove over an hour to take care of the guys livestock while the farmer stayed with his wife in the hospital. To my knowledge, the internet friends STILL have not met face to face. Are there any statistics that track that kind of neighborliness? Or that kind of concern and compassion? Or all the statistics being used simply lay out the number of minutes you have to sit in a waiting room to see a doctor as compared to how much you pay in taxes at the supermarket?

Great post. You give some great examples of the way there's much more to good living than just those factors that can be measured with numbers.

And, OK sounds nicer all the time.

[windowphobe]

Kindness abounds. I had a wreck out near Coalgate two years ago (curse you, Bambi), and inside of half an hour - it took that long for the law-enforcement types to find me - six good ol' boys and three good ol' girls had stopped and offered to help.

[diggyba]

I love u RobW!! I totally agree

[old_grouch]

We live in Pennsylvania, and I think the people here who are saying that the Northeast has a better quality of life than OK -- well, I guess it just depends how they define quality of life. These states up here in the NorthEast have layer upon layer of regulation and social programs and bureaucracy and government interference in our life and taxation, and it increases every year. There is not one area of life here that some agency does not want to regulate more. We are definitely interested in the politics of the places we would consider moving to. Maybe politics is the wrong word. Maybe it would be better to say size and scope of government. But areas that vote on the left side of the spectrum also have much more intrusive government, it seems. So maybe politics is just a short-cut way of talking about it.

Here's one example. I have read on this forum that the state controls your septic and well-drilling, and that you get an electrical inspection. Here in PA, we have uniform statewide building code, and you have to have a licensed architect's plans for remodeling, or building, or even building an outbuilding over about 10x10 ft. In the process of building, you have about 20 inspections, and they can and do make you wait and give you petty grief about many aspects of it. You are not allowed to do things like put in extra kitchenette for your mother-in-law to move in, or many many other aspects. They define every little thing, what sort of sill-plate insulation you have to have, what sort of smoke detectors, etc. etc. And they add new things each year, with the result that building gets slower and more expensive each year. Plus this adds to corruption and payoff, and is it ever corrupt around here. And that's not mentioning the electrical, well and septic, which is also regulated of course.

[Crosstimbers Okie]

Precisely why I prefer that Northeasterners and Californians stay out of Oklahoma. If I was interested in their brand of Paradise I would move there.

No. There are no liberal places in Oklahoma. Oklahoma is full of racist Rednecks. You don't want to be there.

[Goodpasture]

Originally Posted by Crosstimbers Okie

........Oklahoma is full of racist Rednecks.........

I am NOT a racist redneck......just an a$$hole..........

[Crosstimbers Okie]

******* is good!