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I also tire of date nights with my wife that consist of the same mundane things every week...dinner and a movie.
Ditto. I've been living in Shreveport about three years now. My family and I don't hate it here, but we do go back "home" to south Louisiana almost every other weekend to have fun, because there just isn't much culture or unique things to do in Shreveport. We go down south and find more to do (live music, festivals, parades, etc) in towns that are 1/4 - 1/2 the size.
I'll second that. My friends in Dallas tell me that (in some communities) religion is based on the mega-church clique much in the same manner that folks belong to a country-club or some other faux exclusivity where church membership is as much ado about social status as it is about worship. (Think about the book: GCB by Dallasite Kim Gatlin.... it was a short-lived TV Sitcom). If you go around Frisco or N. Plano, you may encounter the heavy "What Church Do Yew Belong To?" crowd, somewhat similar to Shreveport-Bossier folks. It's in their DNA and that's such a personal question but Southern Baptist types are all about "recruitment & salvation" as it's all part of their lifelong mission.
Even in SoCal, you're going to find the super evangelistic bent just like the mega-church/social complex like in the south. It's the American way. But any larger metro will likely have as large a secular populace or one that doesn't always have a fish emblem on their SUV and remind you of their faith. There are some true believers who know and appreciate that faith is a private matter and don't always rub it in everything they do.
That's exactly what I keep hearing about San Deigo in contrast to San Francisco. Though, I will admit, I'm starting to reconsider SF after hearing several remarks about Franciscans "living in a bubble". I enjoy a city with more of a world view/mindframe. Since that doesn't exist in America, I figure I could at least settle for a city not so psychologically closed to the rest of the country. I also hear that the public transit system isn't all that great and I like the idea of not being so car dependent like we are now in Shreveport. Takes alot of money to fill up a Chevy Avalanche every week. Lastly, I hate the idea of city workers, police officers, etc. not being able to afford living in the city that they make "tick"....
I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever really find the perfect city for my family and I. Only one thing is definite...WE'RE GETTING OUT OF SHREVEPORT!
FWIW: I like cities that are a good slice of American Pie. While everybody thinks Shreveport is it, they must have not left the city for long. Shreveport is far from being a microcosm of America. It is a world unto itself and has loaded itself with hubris and delusion with the assistance of alcohol and a civic atmosphere of mutual admiration. Cities like Dallas are a better representation of the conglomeration that is America. Same goes for San Diego, Minneapolis, Charlotte, Kansas City, Denver... there are others but to the point; Shreveport ain't all that. The biggest problem for Shreveport is (wait for it.....) Shreveporters!! Yep.... it is the city where Status Quo should be the city motto. Nothing really every changes, cronies switch from city council to parish commissioners, to school board, to DDA, to Chamber of Commerce, to EconDev groups, to Airport Authority.... it's musical chairs. And when they wear out their welcome in Caddo Parish, they hop across the river and dip their toes in Bossier!
Nothing really changes. It's podunk-ville politics and bilateral at that. Black cronies, white cronies....nothing has every really changed. I've never seen a city council that had sooo many convicts on it serve openly anywhere else in the U.S. It's really unbelieveable!
FWIW: I like cities that are a good slice of American Pie. While everybody thinks Shreveport is it, they must have not left the city for long. Shreveport is far from being a microcosm of America. It is a world unto itself and has loaded itself with hubris and delusion with the assistance of alcohol and a civic atmosphere of mutual admiration. Cities like Dallas are a better representation of the conglomeration that is America. Same goes for San Diego, Minneapolis, Charlotte, Kansas City, Denver... there are others but to the point; Shreveport ain't all that. The biggest problem for Shreveport is (wait for it.....) Shreveporters!! Yep.... it is the city where Status Quo should be the city motto. Nothing really every changes, cronies switch from city council to parish commissioners, to school board, to DDA, to Chamber of Commerce, to EconDev groups, to Airport Authority.... it's musical chairs. And when they wear out their welcome in Caddo Parish, they hop across the river and dip their toes in Bossier!
Nothing really changes. It's podunk-ville politics and bilateral at that. Black cronies, white cronies....nothing has every really changed. I've never seen a city council that had sooo many convicts on it serve openly anywhere else in the U.S. It's really unbelieveable!
And that's just a look at our public figures. Let's talk about the overall deamenor of the local residents. For the life of me, I cannot understand the innate attitude and shadiness of people here. I was telling my business partner the other day that Shreveporters have this bizarre, ill-placed big city attitude in a town with absolutely nothing to offer or be proud of. It's almost as if the people here are always on guard just in case you decide to flip a casual conversation into panhandling or something. C'mon lady, I asked you for the time, not a dollar!
Years ago, when I had high hopes for Shreveport, I would ride the bus just to be around the people. One thing that definitely stands out is how absolutely noone talks to one another..NO ONE! There's always this weird tension. And for what???
Not only are they stand-offish, the people here are VERY rude. I have never ever ever experienced people so prone to confrontation about NOTHING! People here even recieve it as disrepect or condescension if you speak better English than they do. To anyone outside of the area, this all may sound insane...almost as if I'm making it all up. I can assure you, I AM NOT! Shreveport is truly a hellhole for anyone who's not a hillbilly or a ghetto pariah... (SouthernBelle, please tell me "hellhole" isn't considered profanity here.)
I got into a habit of talking in a nasally voice and joking often, just so I would stop coming off as pompous, now I can't stop. I still write in an intelligent manner, though.
Also, about libertarians, I am just now starting to pay any real attention to politics, and that party sticks out. I was saying Alaska might be more like that, but you were right about me having no real expirence.
One reason I'm still here and trying to make it work is that I've decided I can't find what I'm looking for. I have found something I didn't like with every place I've been. So I give up. My wife doesn't really want to leave here either. We don't have any real vested interest (family ancestry, etc.) around here so really I feel we could go just about anywhere.
It is not the same city it was many years ago. I don't like the direction it has taken. But I don't think the US as a whole is what it used to be either. In many ways I want to embrace the new day but would rather do it here. It just doesn't happen fast enough around these parts.
One reason I'm still here and trying to make it work is that I've decided I can't find what I'm looking for. I have found something I didn't like with every place I've been. So I give up. My wife doesn't really want to leave here either. We don't have any real vested interest (family ancestry, etc.) around here so really I feel we could go just about anywhere.
It is not the same city it was many years ago. I don't like the direction it has taken. But I don't think the US as a whole is what it used to be either. In many ways I want to embrace the new day but would rather do it here. It just doesn't happen fast enough around these parts.
Wasn't the city worse off some years ago? Crime, economy, etc.
One reason I'm still here and trying to make it work is that I've decided I can't find what I'm looking for. I have found something I didn't like with every place I've been. So I give up. My wife doesn't really want to leave here either. We don't have any real vested interest (family ancestry, etc.) around here so really I feel we could go just about anywhere.
It is not the same city it was many years ago. I don't like the direction it has taken. But I don't think the US as a whole is what it used to be either. In many ways I want to embrace the new day but would rather do it here. It just doesn't happen fast enough around these parts.
I can appreciate this conclusion. No place is going to be "perfect" as each will have some problem to consider. However I feel that a bigger pond allows for more diversity in social amenities, lifestyle enhancements, jobs and political leadership.
There seems to be a certain political inertia to SBC and Louisiana in general. I believe I've stated in other threads that our city / parish / state has a higher percentage of poorly educated or ignorant voters who seem to validate my understanding of the definition of "insanity". Smarter, better informed & more engaged voters (who are mostly younger) are leaving the area for better futures elsewhere. So that leaves the elderly, poorly educated/ignorant (for the most part) voters who hold onto the past and vote for a "brand" instead of true leadership. The sad thing is that local politicians know this and real leadership stays away; leaving the cronies to run for the prize. And even those with better education who've lived here their entire lives have seemed to share some of the provincial attitudes about politics that I find utterly amazing given their education. But then most have never lived or worked outside of Louisiana, so that may be the reason.
As I was about to say, I would be more attracted to a larger metro area with a larger social / civic I.Q.; they may not be in the majority but they will be in numbers significant enough to keep most of the fools at bay with their votes and civic participation. That's why you'll read about investigations being conducted and indictments handed down because larger metros have a degree of folks who are smart enough to bring eyes on things that smaller communities just roll their eyes and ignore. One thing I've observed about SBC is that the reason no one wants to "rock the boat" is that they're too busy trying to climb onboard and get in on "the party". No one wants to point out that the emperor wears no clothes for fear of being labeled a malcontent or non-team player. As long as everyone gets to sip on the Kool Aid Pitcher and gets invited to the next big civic bash to feel important, nothing ever really changes.
A better educated, stronger middle-class raises all boats. Shreveport may get around to having this one of these days but younger people want better amenities, better downtowns, better economies now. They've heard the SBC has been promoting this for the past two decades and well it just ain't that great. People say we've escaped the "Great Recession" but if all we're doing is comparing ourselves to California, Michigan, Fla. & the Northeast; we're not looking at the right criteria. We lost GM and our growth has been somewhat flat. BioMedical Foundation brags about their accomplishiments but it never reached half of the promise it promoted in making NW La. a biotech industrial corridor. They've converted their office space to support MoonBot, Circle R Media (which is co-owned by a BioMed Board member), and Blade Studios. No mention of any new biomed companies coming there in the past two years or so.
Area has more jobs but lower-paying jobs. And don't go Haynesville Shale and Movies on me because that is a see-saw and we're seeing most films head South to NOLA or Georgia. And a lot of O&G jobs have moved to Eagleford TX or Wyoming.
Good luck to those who accept this place and wear blinders. As long as their circle seems solid, nothing else matters. Seems like people numb themselves with "Quality-of-Life" meaning Mardi Gras, Red River Revel, MudBug Madness, ...LSU football and plenty of alcohol and hunting & fishing. While some things have improved, much has remained the same as always. :|
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