Finding my way back home to Knoxville (unemployment rate, live)

[insightofitall]

That's one of the things I like about Knoxville. It's pretty much a small city, but has such a big city feel to it. I remember when I went to the World's Fair in 1982. They had just built the United American Tower (which later became the First Tennessee Bank tower and now known as the Plaza Tower) a few years prior, and I was so impressed that a small town had such a modern mirrored-glass office building like that. Where I was from, there wasn't anything similar. And then to see the Sunsphere...I thought "this is such an impressive modern town!"

[Cheryl A. Koski]

I just spent three weeks in Knoxville, and I had an opportunity to spend quite a bit of time downtown. It really has developed, and, of course, there are the great mainstays, such as the Tennessee Theater, where I saw a jazz concert before Christmas. Knoxville is just getting better and better!

[Cheryl A. Koski]

Folks, I have a question. Why is it that when I tell people in Florida that I'm moving back to Knoxville, they often roll their eyes or make some kind of derogatory comment suggesting that there is something wrong with me for wanting to move back. One person said, "Is it the memories?" What does that mean? To me, it suggested that I have some fantasy of Knoxville based in the past and that I should stay in St. Petersburg, the present. What is wrong with wanting to move back to a place where people say "thank you," "you're welcome," "please," and they let you into traffic and the stress level is extremely low?

[Cheryl A. Koski]

Just now someone asked me if I'm sure that I won't regret my decision to move from St. Petersburg to Knoxville. All of these unrequested opinions are starting to rattle me.

[weisgarber1]

Originally Posted by Cheryl A. Koski

Just now someone asked me if I'm sure that I won't regret my decision to move from St. Petersburg to Knoxville. All of these unrequested opinions are starting to rattle me.

Why would it rattle you? Much of this country tends to be culture-centric, and it isn't surprizing that someone in St.Pete would believe their culture is the center of the universe. Some people don't want to believe/accept that others have differing beliefs from their own. People here would be more polite than the people you reference, but if someone here were to say to me they were moving to S.P., my first expression would probably be, "why on earth would you want to move to that place, other than the warm winter weather?" So, to each their own, except for the people you reference who have yet to receive/understand that fact.

[creeksitter]

I think if you'd moved a month ago you would regret your decision. Brrrrrrr. But 2 months from now all this cold will be behind us and moving will be a good decision.

[insightofitall]

Originally Posted by Cheryl A. Koski

Folks, I have a question. Why is it that when I tell people in Florida that I'm moving back to Knoxville, they often roll their eyes or make some kind of derogatory comment suggesting that there is something wrong with me for wanting to move back. One person said, "Is it the memories?" What does that mean? To me, it suggested that I have some fantasy of Knoxville based in the past and that I should stay in St. Petersburg, the present. What is wrong with wanting to move back to a place where people say "thank you," "you're welcome," "please," and they let you into traffic and the stress level is extremely low?

I totally understand what you're saying. There is NOTHING wrong with wanting to move to a place you hold dear in your heart. There's not even anything wrong with wanting to move someplace completely new to you simply for the sake of experiencing a change in your life.

My own cousin, who was living in the Ft. Lauderdale area at the time, once encouraged me to move to Florida, stating where I lived up north was so "dreary". My internal reaction was "But Florida is so butt ugly". The only thing I find moderately endearing about the place is the beach. I like palm trees, too, but even the palms in Phoenix are nicer looking than what you find in Florida. I just think the whole place is completely overrated.

If something else is said to you, just tell them you prefer the mountains and home-town charm of East Tennessee. It really is "to each his own", and you honestly don't owe an explanation for why you're moving back. Just tell them Florida isn't where you feel at home in your heart.

[hiknapster]

It always comes down to someone's opinion, truth and perspective.

I never wanted to move to Florida. It happened by chance and odd circumstances. We traveled there when I was a kid and I didn't like it then, plus I saw a local child drown in a Tampa hotel pool and it always haunted me.

Anyway, my husband's family is very large and they all live in Florida. Most of them thought we were absolutely nuts to move here. Their paradise is not mine, that is for sure. I put a high priority on education and manners and I've never heard anyone of them mention any interest in either subject, although I dearly love them.

There are also some crazy assumptions about the area. Someone on the Florida forum once told me that people in Tennessee are prejudiced. I asked her why she thought that and she said that 15 years ago a mother of a boyfriend told her that because she was Puerto Rican she was not good enough for her son. And this happened in Maryland.

Now what the heck does that have to do with Tennessee?

I've been told by folks that people up here are "backwoods" and usually by people that could end up on that site of badly-dressed Walmart shoppers.

First of all, the most trashy racists I have ever encountered were in Florida. Hands down. Anyone that says that isn't true is in a very big state of denial. Florida is not an enormous magnet for the blue-blood, old-money set.

So anyway, a lot of those people that teased us about moving up here no longer make fun of us now that they see how well we have done and how badly Florida has fared.

But to a lot of people, Florida is the "holy grail." They spend most of their lives wishing to move there. I found that most of those people have had a very limited view of the world. They just don't know that there is so much better places and people out there.

[Cheryl A. Koski]

Thanks, folks. I do love the hometown charm of Knoxville. And I prefer mountains to beaches. I've lived here for seven years, and I've never once been to the beach. I just don't care for lying out in the hot sun, and swimming isn't my thing. And about the cold--I like it. I was in Knoxville for three weeks at Christmas, and it was in the 20s. I loved it. When I got back here, it was humid and in the 70s. Not my thing. I guess a lot of people think that where they're at is the best place on earth. Those people tend to have real ties to the place--family, employment, those kinds of things. I cannot even find a part-time job in Florida, and my only family is my chihuahua. She will go happily wherever I go. The economy is so bad here and not getting any better. Home prices are continuing to decline. And so many negative things have happened to me here. It's a place filled with bad memories. My life in Knoxville was so much more tranquil. That's what I want back in my life.

[weisgarber1]

Originally Posted by Cheryl A. Koski

My life in Knoxville was so much more tranquil. That's what I want back in my life.

Well, as they say, "Delta is ready when you are."