Treehugging in Putnam Co/Cookeville? (Memphis, Knoxville: fit in, how much, home)

[scrapbookqueen]

My husband, baby and I are moving from South Florida to Cookeville the first week of May. My sister-in-law and mother-in-law have already made the jump last year. We love the country and the slower pace (and the prices!), but I am a little nervous because I am what my in-laws call a tree hugger - organic foods, homeopathic medications, cloth diapers, bake my own bread, etc. I also lean more towards Eastern religions instead of Christianity. How much backlash will I expect to see, and more importantly, will my child experience? I get some weird looks down here because my baby signs (she is too young to talk) and is not allowed to consume things like high fructose corn syrup. We need to be near our family so are not considering a larger city like Nashville, I am just wondering if anyone else out there has had issues like this. For example, I was shocked to find out that my SIL cannot recycle unless she brings everything in to the center in Cookeville (no home pickup). How weird is it going to be for me to make weekly trips into town to do this? I am originally from a large liberal city and transplanting to South Florida was a surprise to say the least. What can we expect in Middle Tennessee?

[JMT]

Originally Posted by scrapbookqueen

My husband, baby and I are moving from South Florida to Cookeville the first week of May. My sister-in-law and mother-in-law have already made the jump last year. We love the country and the slower pace (and the prices!), but I am a little nervous because I am what my in-laws call a tree hugger - organic foods, homeopathic medications, cloth diapers, bake my own bread, etc. I also lean more towards Eastern religions instead of Christianity. How much backlash will I expect to see, and more importantly, will my child experience? I get some weird looks down here because my baby signs (she is too young to talk) and is not allowed to consume things like high fructose corn syrup. We need to be near our family so are not considering a larger city like Nashville, I am just wondering if anyone else out there has had issues like this. For example, I was shocked to find out that my SIL cannot recycle unless she brings everything in to the center in Cookeville (no home pickup). How weird is it going to be for me to make weekly trips into town to do this? I am originally from a large liberal city and transplanting to South Florida was a surprise to say the least. What can we expect in Middle Tennessee?

I don't think you have anything to worry about. Being a college town, Cookeville has its share of liberal people, particularly among the university faculty. While I am not liberal, many of my friends in Cookeville are VERY liberal. Don't forget that Al Gore's family farm is just across the county line in Smith County, and Al had his office in Cookeville when he was a senator.

The recycling thing shouldn't be that big a deal, there are recycling centers all over the county. Knoxville doesn't have curbside recycling, either. Memphis didn't, either, when I lived there. But Putnam County was one of the first counties in the state to have recycling centers, so it's pretty routine there to separate your recyclables and make a weekly trip to one of the drop-off sites.

There's a Buddhist camp near Cookeville in the eastern part of Putnam County, so people who follow Eastern religions aren't that uncommon there. Granted, I'm talking in comparison to other towns in Tennessee. But the point is, you won't stick out that much.

Jackson County has become somewhat of a hotbed for organic farmers. The farmers market in downtown Cookeville has quite a few organic produce stands. There's a large farm between Cookeville and Carthage called Peaceful Pastures, they deliver their organic meats and dairy products to the Good Shepherd store in Cookeville. In fact, the people at the Good Shepherd store will probably be a great help when it comes to all of the questions you asked.

Good luck! You're moving to a beautiful area with a lot to offer.

[sliverbox]

My husband, baby and I are moving from South Florida to Cookeville the first week of May. My sister-in-law and mother-in-law have already made the jump last year. We love the country and the slower pace (and the prices!), but I am a little nervous because I am what my in-laws call a tree hugger - organic foods, homeopathic medications, cloth diapers, bake my own bread, etc. I also lean more towards Eastern religions instead of Christianity. How much backlash will I expect to see, and more importantly, will my child experience?

You and your family should be A-ok. As long as you don't preach and over-project your beliefs on people, they'll respect you because being boastful of anything is looked down upon. In other words, treat others as you would like you be treated. People in this part of the country still abide by that law fairly well.

But... be prepared to see religious pamphlets in the bathrooms and restaurant tables from time to time. Just keep an open mind and you'll be fine.

[scrapbookqueen]

Thanks for your answers! I have looked at the website for the Buddist retreat and can't wait to go there. Just wanted to make sure that Cookeville is open-minded (maybe better word than liberal, as far as politics go, IMHO that's each voter's own business). Can't tell you how many questions I've gotten because I carry my child in a sling and don't cart a 50-pound $200 stroller from place to place. And people are nasty about it! Don't even bring up the fact that we don't have TV - I made that mistake once at a public library storytime and the other mom looked at me like I was from another planet and told me that I was depriving my child! Hope that Cookeville will be a place that is at least accepting of differences.

[Rapunzll]

Originally Posted by scrapbookqueen

Thanks for your answers! I have looked at the website for the Buddist retreat and can't wait to go there. Just wanted to make sure that Cookeville is open-minded (maybe better word than liberal, as far as politics go, IMHO that's each voter's own business).

Sorry, just had to point out that 'open minded' almost always means 'thinks like I do'. LOL

[alleycat]

I would agree with JMT for the most part. Of course, you will probably run across the occasional person who questions some of your ideas; but that's going to be true of all sorts of people and all sorts of places. If you were a dyed-in-the-wool Baptist and went to NYC, someone there would probably question why you were a fundamentalist. If you were from Texas and went to San Francisco, someone there would probably question your consumption of beef. I'm just saying you might experience a little bit of that here; but I'd be surprised if anyone "gets in your face" about it. Most people here try to "live and let live".

In another thread here where someone was asking whether they would fit in, I mentioned that I lived in Bellevue, a community in the southwest part of Metro Nashville. It's basically an upper middle class suburban community (forty years ago it was mostly rural). Right on top of one of the hills in Bellevue is a large Hindu temple that looked like it was transported straight from India. As far as I know, they get along just as well as anyone else. So coming from Florida to Tennessee, and having some different beliefs, probably won't be as unusual to "the natives" as you might think, although I don't know what Cookeville is like specifically.

[scrapbookqueen]

Originally Posted by Rapunzll

Sorry, just had to point out that 'open minded' almost always means 'thinks like I do'. LOL

I respectfully disagree with this statement. What I meant by open-minded individuals are those who don't care if someone else chooses a different path. For example, I would not be offended in the least by Christian pamphlets in restaurants. My husband is a Christian and my child and I have attended many Catholic masses. I try not to make the choices I have made an issue for those around me, but here in Palm Beach County, people think that they have the right to ask nasty questions that, in my mind, are designed to ridicule my choices. I wanted to know if I could expect the same treatment in Cookeville. Sounds like we will have an easier time there. Just another reason to be happy to leave Florida!

[alleycat]

I think Rapunzil was just making a (slightly barbed) joke.

[Jon F Moss]

sbqueen,

was that you I used to see at the Whole Foods in Plantation waiting in line at the deli?

we're pondering the thought of moving from Broward County up to Hamilton County--hope everything works out well for you up there.

[Rapunzll]

Originally Posted by scrapbookqueen

I respectfully disagree with this statement.

Sorry! I didn't mean you neccesarily, I don't know you. It's just that in my experience, that 'open minded' tends to mean that the person in question agrees with the speaker. For example, many people who use those words would not be able to see that someone who had differing/conservative views, or doesn't believe there is global warming, or is against racial preferences, ect is open minded. Thus, many people who talk about open mindedness, are pretty closed minded. Again, I'm not speaking of you personally. It's just one of those amusing things. Sorry if you took it personally.