friendly people? (high school, living, law)

[Dave27]

From reading a lot of posts, I read that people are very friendly in Texas, but my question is this.....are people just being nice / polite / friendly on a superficial level or are people truly friendly....actually want to get to know you, be friends, meet up, etc (more so then in New England).

[Guingirl]

People are friendly, but you also have to put yourself out there. I have met most of my friends through my daughter and her activities through other moms and different activities, neighbors etc.

We invite new friends over for dinner, play dates for the kids and other things.

Most people here are very polite though (unless you are driving!!). People will open doors and say yes ma'am no ma'am, but I HATE the tailgating!!

[waqt]

I, myself, have just moved to Texas (3 months ago). We came from a place where you didn't even know your next door neighbor, because nobody was ever outside. You had a core group of friends and rarely added to that core group. I had the opportunity to visit some friends in Arkansas last summer and I discovered that there were people that were actually friendly, helpful, respectful...etc left in this world. I also discovered that 'Southern Hospitality' is not just of descriptive phrase, IT is a Living, Breathing way of life - and it seemed strange to me for people to carry on a conversation with a cashier and not have the person behind you in line slamming your backside with their cart because THEY are in a hurry, it seemed strange to have a person actually look you in the eye as they were talking to you, it seemed strange to ask a question and have the answer returned to you with a smile and probably more information than you needed, it seemed strange to pull into a auto shop to ask directions from the gentleman standing outside, and having him walk over to our vehicle so as to not have to speak loud....all this to tell us to go up one street and turn left.
You will get superficial people everywhere.
In my long tenure as a Texan (3 months), I have found a culture that still promotes family, still promote respect and discipline for thier children, still promotes education and still promotes being a God-fearing church going citizenry. Most Texans seem to be conservative in thier views (yeah, rah, rah, rah!!), hell, my kids go to a high school that I gave my permission for corporal punishment (if needed)- where we came from it was against the law for parents to administer a swat on the butt with the back of our hand. Texans, from my observations so far, live life on a more personal level, overall. My family & I have been accepted, I have made friends quicker here than anywhere else I have lived in (Wa, Or, Nv & Id). We are a middle class family and we work blue collar jobs, but I do not feel that we have been judged based on what we do or don't do, or what/who we know or don't know. We have been accepted for who we are and what we believe. This is a Very Strange concept to me.
As with anywhere else, there are the cities and towns and areas in cities and towns that have very visible class lines, painted with Bright Red paint, right down the middle of the city/town, and you have to do your research to find just the right fit for you. In our case, we did the research, moved to the city/town that seemed like a great fit for us, found out the representations made were just not a true picture of the community, and we are moving again for the second time in 4 months.
As part of your research, I would recommend visiting ipl.org (internet library) and reading the newspapers in the localities that you are considering. This will give you an idea of up to date goings on in that area. The info given on this website, I have found, is not always up to date and is very misleading (as in our situation).

Texans are very, very friendly, helpful, courteous, and respectful. It is not difficult to meet people that you would feel like you have known forever. Be prepared, however, because depending on what part of the country you are coming from, the culture shock is BIG, but very easy to get used to. as the old saying goes 'when in Rome...' well when in Texas!!!! and remember, that you have mean, rude, disrespectful people anywhere you go, do your research well, VISIT the area and people-watch and interact (this will tell you about the area more so than can be relayed over a forum like this), go to a city council meeting etc... and decide if the local flavor jives with your way of life. Texas is big enough that it offers something for everyone. Although the state is largely Conservative, there are some cities/towns that lean toward the Liberal side, there are areas where racial lines are still very clear, and there are areas where those lines have melted and people are living comfortably with each other...etc.
Decide what is important to you and your lifestyle, make the long list and then start your research....It won't take you long to come up with The short list and then you can focus on those areas.
Good Luck and Welcome To Texas