Official "Seattle Freeze" Discussion Thread (Snohomish, Brier: costs, garden)

[cobolt]

Originally Posted by seattlerain

People like several of of you have described can be found everywhere, not just in the PNW.

Absolutely they can be found everywhere. No doubt. The tragedy behind my point, is that such a high concentration seem to be living in an area that claims to be the center of diversity, progressive-mindedness, et al. The tragedy is that I've lived all over this great country and I've found more than my fair share, not in some "backwoods" town or middle America or NY, but right here Seattle. Right here.

[baba_yaga]

Examining cultural differences I can understand. But perhaps the "therapy" portion of this thread could be moved to a Yahoo! group or mailing list? The mass generalizations with accompanying backpatting by the same circle of posters is pretty distasteful to me, don't know about anyone else.

[seattlerain]

Originally Posted by allforcats

Actually, no -- people who ignore nonsense are wise people, not of any particular political persuasion.

My thoughts exactly...

[haggardhouseelf]

Originally Posted by samsmom

Your absolutely right. But the people out here are trying way too hard to be the "cool to be a liberal" type. At least that's what I've noticed.

I'm from Texas, but have lived up and down the west coast for the past 6 years... and have come upon "cool to be Republican", "cool to be latino", "cool to be texan", "cool to be punk", "cool to be liberal", "cool to be _____insert whatever sort of cool for the moment bandwagon a person may ride on here____" there in Texas as well as in California, Oregon, and Washington states where we have also lived.

This is the world... "cool" people and their "cool" beliefs are everywhere and that's what makes this country, and this world... so interesting.

I think the trick we must learn is to somehow grow past the high school mentality and find a way for all these "cool" people to get along and work together. No matter how "cool" we are or think we are - We are all human sharing this place.

I don't know where I heard this... and I'm prolly not saying this word-for-word right... but somewhere I remember reading something that went like - Wisdom is not in learning and proving others wrong with your new knowledge, but in learning and sharing and growing together from there - always expecting the unexpected and always remembering that there's more to know that you haven't yet learned.

Living in the Seattle area was really negative for me spiritually... I cringe at some of my past posts that I wrote while living there. It is apparent to me that I was unhappy and writing has always been my way of venting and working out feelings, whether negative or positive... I had such little compassion or tolerance for rude and disrespectful people there. All my life I have felt that being nice to people like that was the best thing - as smiles are often contagious. Give smiles to those who have none - that sort of thing. But somehow up in the Seattle area I got to a point where I was even afraid to. I lost myself.

Being back in my happy place now... (Eugene, OR) life is good again. People are smiling at me and I'm smiling at them and everything feels good and positive and like it should again. We've not seen one act of road rage or even one incident of someone shooting the finger since we've been here - before up in the Seattle area that was a daily occurrence. While sometimes funny, it also was bad for the soul.

[theRain]

Originally Posted by seattlenextyear

If someone is liberal and wordly, they will find your particular brand of humor funny? That's like saying that if someone doesn't like you, it's obviously because they're stupid.

Well, the truth can be painful! Live on, Seattle Freeze

[toughguy]

Originally Posted by cobolt

Absolutely they can be found everywhere. No doubt. The tragedy behind my point, is that such a high concentration seem to be living in an area that claims to be the center of diversity, progressive-mindedness, et al. The tragedy is that I've lived all over this great country and I've found more than my fair share, not in some "backwoods" town or middle America or NY, but right here Seattle. Right here.

Your little polemic smacks of right wing radio talking points. It's identical to the rhetoric you would hear on Rush, Hannity, etc. Your red herring of an area that "claims to be so progressive and open minded" is a construct of your biases. Please think it over.

[toughguy]

Originally Posted by robertpolyglot

No, not exactly what I meant...it means they would tolerate it...truly liberal people can laugh at themselves and things around them....doing accents in a non-hateful manner is acceptable in my book and most of my friends (at least 50% of whom have foreign ties) like them as well since it's in good taste. The transplants from very multi-cultural urban areas like them. Growing up in So. Cal., we grew up imitating each others' parents' accents and it was great fun...and I certainly didn't mind when people imitated my parents! Laughter is one of the best medicines...and something that is lacking in the Pac NW.

Then, there's the uptight brand of liberalism which is a "laundry list" of how you should think and act which is a pervasive "problem" in Ecotopia. You know: MUST recycle, MUST have some hemp in clothing, MUST vote Democrat, MUST be spiritual and not religious, MUST be smug, MUST have a Subaru. Actually, that "list" approach is extremely conservative, don't you think? And it was a co-worker who graduated from Berkeley who pointed this out to me and thought it was sickening.

I think you will do real well in Seattle, based on your posts.

Immitating accents has the reek of Carlos Mencia-type humor, which is to say one of the unfunniest forms of comedy. I have stated this before, but I wouldn't find you funny at all, although I would probably laugh just to humor you (A Seattle Freeze trait?). I would let loose a chuckle, but in my head I would be thinking "you probably think cliched jokes that were funny in the 90's are still gold".

[seattlenextyear]

Originally Posted by toughguy

I would let loose a chuckle, but in my head I would be thinking "you probably think cliched jokes that were funny in the 90's are still gold".

That's an insightful post..... NOT!!!

[PencilMeIn]

I prefer being "cool" to be a moderate. It's been my observation that anyone who is extreme to the right or the left is closed minded. I have lived in the bible belt so I'm very familiar with the far right. And here in Seattle, I see many far to the left. Couldn't relate to either group.....doesn't mean I think they are wrong....I just can't relate. But I'm not walking in their shoes.

I have not had a problem with people in either place trying to force their opinions on me. And I have not encountered rude people in either area. But, I have encountered people who really have the wrong impression of people from other areas of the country.

And toughguy, you have stated before your disregard for religion....so does that mean you wouldn't be open minded about those who have a lot of faith? Would you accept them? And no I'm not a Rush fan..I'm indifferent to people like that... but I happened to understand what Cobolt was saying.

HHE is right in saying that we have to be open to all and everyone has a right to express who they are or what the believe in and that is no easy task even for those of us who try hard at being open. But what I have noticed is that extremeness leads to being close minded. And in Seattle you are more likely to run into the far left.

[toughguy]

I have friends on the right, friends on the left, friends who are apolitical. Friends who are catholic, friends who are islamic, friends who are mormon, friends who are atheist. My own disdain for religion and my political views really don't have a huge bearing on who I keep for company. Although I will roll my eyes when they pray to an imaginary man (thats a joke).