Hillbilly headquarters (Bluefield: home, transfer, neighborhood)

[Retired Navy]

I was born and raised in Williamson, down in Mingo County......The big joke was if you graduated from High School there and still had all your front teeth you were a "sissy"!! Elliot "Spike" Maynard was a Senior when I was a Freshman there. That guy was practically a professional trumpet player when he was 15 years old. He lived in an apartment over his Mom's bar, the Phoenix Grill, and you could hear him practicing for hours every day in the summer. Last time I was there was about 12 years ago to attend my cousin's funeral and I couldn't believe how much the place had changed. When Rt. 119 went through as a four lane they moved practically a whole section of mountain where I used to pick berries as a kid!! Pretty much only miners and railroaders there when I was growing up and the streets were black with coal dust.....but I loved the place!!

[bugyboy420]

What i am trying to get at is if i were to move to like jolo, harts, war..places in southern WV, would i be welcomed?

[David Kennedy]

In the recent movie "Gran Torino...Clint Eastwood plays a war hero and retired auto worker from West Virginia..he adjusts to the new 'hmong neighbors who live next door...
I suggest you see it..It will give you the keys of understanding to similar communities here in Wv...

Patience, Respect, a Price in Time and Commonality are the requisites for assimilation.

My favorite scene was the spitting of tobacco juice of he and the old woman...the woman will win everytime...they carry much more hate...

[Retired Navy]

Originally Posted by bugyboy420

What i am trying to get at is if i were to move to like jolo, harts, war..places in southern WV, would i be welcomed?

Essentially if you treat folks, anywhere in West Virginia, the way you want to be treated you will be welcomed. The culture, from North to South, in West Virginia is as diverse as that from Southern to Northern Illinois. We have our good folks and our bad folks... same as anywhere else. Basically, your character and that of those with whom you choose to associate will determine how, and if, you are accepted. Simple as that..

[mmccul]

Originally Posted by David Kennedy

In the recent movie "Gran Torino...Clint Eastwood plays a war hero and retired auto worker from West Virginia..he adjusts to the new 'hmong neighbors who live next door...
I suggest you see it..It will give you the keys of understanding to similar communities here in Wv...

Patience, Respect, a Price in Time and Commonality are the requisites for assimilation.

My favorite scene was the spitting of tobacco juice of he and the old woman...the woman will win everytime...they carry much more hate...

Was he really from West Virginia? I somehow missed that part. -mmccul

[corgis]

Originally Posted by Retired Navy

Essentially if you treat folks, anywhere in West Virginia, the way you want to be treated you will be welcomed. The culture, from North to South, in West Virginia is as diverse as that from Southern to Northern Illinois. We have our good folks and our bad folks... same as anywhere else. Basically, your character and that of those with whom you choose to associate will determine how, and if, you are accepted. Simple as that..

Great post!

[bugyboy420]

If i were to purchase land in real rural places as i mentioned before and build a nice home, would the locals find that degrading?

[Georgia]

Originally Posted by bugyboy420

What i am trying to get at is if i were to move to like jolo, harts, war..places in southern WV, would i be welcomed?

Jolo,
Ok, if you love Jesus and enjoy handling snakes (that would be the ones with doze triangly head and two sharp needle teeth) then you will get along just fine in Jolo

[JRLudi]

Originally Posted by bugyboy420

If i were to purchase land in real rural places as i mentioned before and build a nice home, would the locals find that degrading?

What I find degrading is your attitude! Have you ever been to WV? Would "the locals" find it degrading if you built a "NICE HOME"? What do you think we live in, cardboard huts? Do us a favor and wherever you are, find the nearest lake and jump in. We don't want you polluting our water, after all our hogs's got drink that stuff.

[David Kennedy]

I tried to give you points for that post, JR, but I'll have to wait...

I can stand on my deck and see several homes..from a double-wide installed in 1980 and being re-done by a couple of new kids who are fixing it up...they are quiet...

On the other side of the hill is the 400k home of Mr. A$$hole. He built last year...came into the neighborhood, told everybody what he was going to do...needed their land for his UTE Right-of ways and such...knew they wouldn't mind...

When my neice saw the electric power trucks in her front yard she said to the Foreman. "Get those GD trucks out of my yard or I will shoot holes in your tires!"

Mr. A$$hole came to parley...Neice said. "SEE that fence? That means THIS is my land...take your greasy a$$ over their and stay there! (neice is a nurse with a Masters, and she was using it that day)

House is complete...looks good...now the only problem is the moto-cross races each summer evenings and sundays...as Mr. A$$hole came to our part of the country to ride his bikes...breakneck speeds (everyone is hoping) and dirt and dust in the air for hours...not to even mention the noise.
They built a racetrack on the 7 acres around the house...

Not really a gripeto me...but big dogs are...they leave big piles of excretement in the yard...

Mr. A$$hole does not have any big dogs...as my neighbor, Jeff said this fall..."if he gets some dogs, I'll be waitin'....you know the rule, Dave...any dog on my land gets a shot!"

Is this attitude transference? Nah! Neighbors are just wanting a little respect and not getting it..

My neice laughed at the 5 power poles and price it took to get the UTES to Mr A$$holes home...about 15k.
If he had come in peace, he could have got the job done for free.

She's a local and lives in a NICE HOME too! And I'm very proud to say she is my neice.