How to make Christmas in the Ozarks more interesting for newcomers from the city (California: sales, new home)

[ozarksboy]

According to this news story, (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081129/ap_on_re_us/wal_mart_death_16 - broken link) shoppers in the New York metropolitan area get so serious about shopping that they're willing to kill.

The story (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081129/ap_on_re_us/wal_mart_death_16 - broken link) reports about 2,000 people lined up at Wal-Mart in a mall on Long Island about 20 miles outside Manhattan. The herd pushed open the door and trampled a worker to death.

I found this story interesting for these reasons:

1. Our new neighbors who move to the Ozarks and then complain about a lack of "decent shopping" come from places where they shop like we country people do: at Wal-Mart! Every burg in Missouri has a Wal-Mart, just like New York, so what's their complaint?

2. Our small-town parades, school Christmas programs, high school band/choral Christmas concerts, church cantatas and the like must seem pretty lame to big-city newcomers when they compare our activities to the joy city people must find in killing during mall shopping.

3. Let's rethink this: Maybe it's in our best interest to encourage our new neighbors from the city to go ahead and take shopping excursions to the city instead of patronizing the local businesses in their new hometowns. You get too many city people in one business, and you might have a killing on your hands.

Well, if we can just keep on importing enough city folks to the Ozarks, and if they will just keep on yammering about how we need more malls in the hills, maybe we can add this kind of activity to our hillbilly holiday celebrations.

Let's do what we can to fill this place up with city folks quickly.

Note to Shadowcaver: Now this is sarcasm.

[ozarksboy]

According to this story from the "great" state of California (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081129/ap_on_re_us/toy_store_shooting_10 - broken link), firearms also add interest to Christmas shopping.

Two guys were in Toys R Us at some resort town east of Los Angeles when the women they were with started arguing. The men started arguing and then gunplay erupted. California cities seem such "wonderful" places.

And this is the influence that is moving to Missouri.

Great. Just great.

[MoNative34]

Everyone I've met that moved here from the coasts (or wants to move here) are not like that at all.... My cyber friends on this forum certainly aren't. I think you're being a little hard.

[Silvermouse]

Originally Posted by MoNative34

Everyone I've met that moved here from the coasts (or wants to move here) are not like that at all.... My cyber friends on this forum certainly aren't. I think you're being a little hard.

Maybe, but he does have a point.

[ozarksboy]

Originally Posted by MoNative34

Everyone I've met that moved here from the coasts (or wants to move here) are not like that at all.... My cyber friends on this forum certainly aren't. I think you're being a little hard.

The people you've met and your cyber buddies on here are just a small part of the influx of outsiders to the Ozarks and the rest of Missouri.

[christina0001]

Hey now, don't be mean! Seriously, the folks on the east coast (where I am from) are definitely pushier, ruder, and in way more of a rush than people here. What happened at the WalMart on Long Island is a reflection of the sad state of society there. I thought it was amazing and a great example of how different life is out here, when KY3 showed people camping out in front of Bass Pro Thanksgiving night, with campfires, waiting for Black Friday and having a good, peaceful time of it. But remember, those of us who chose to move to the Ozarks from larger metropolitan areas, chose to do so because we disliked those ways, and did not want to be a part of it any more. At least, that's how I felt. But stereotyping everyone from the large cities as cold blooded, rude and violent, is just as bad as those folks in the city thinking everyone in the Ozarks is uneducated, missing teeth, and brewing meth behind their trailer park homes.

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by christina0001

Hey now, don't be mean! Seriously, the folks on the east coast (where I am from) are definitely pushier, ruder, and in way more of a rush than people here. What happened at the WalMart on Long Island is a reflection of the sad state of society there. I thought it was amazing and a great example of how different life is out here, when KY3 showed people camping out in front of Bass Pro Thanksgiving night, with campfires, waiting for Black Friday and having a good, peaceful time of it. But remember, those of us who chose to move to the Ozarks from larger metropolitan areas, chose to do so because we disliked those ways, and did not want to be a part of it any more. At least, that's how I felt. But stereotyping everyone from the large cities as cold blooded, rude and violent, is just as bad as those folks in the city thinking everyone in the Ozarks is uneducated, missing teeth, and brewing meth behind their trailer park homes.

People often "broad brush" the East Coast areas. I live about 70 miles from the East Coast in south-central NH and the pace of life here is not that rushed IMHO. We have a stable slow-growth economy, good schools, tremendous outdoor activities, no state income tax, and no sales tax. Also, I like the fact that Merrimack County (where I live) only has about 150,000 people. It is much less crowded here compared to the KC metro area where I moved from.

[cali-grown]

Originally Posted by ozarksboy

According to this story from the "great" state of California (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081129/ap_on_re_us/toy_store_shooting_10 - broken link), firearms also add interest to Christmas shopping.

Two guys were in Toys R Us at some resort town east of Los Angeles when the women they were with started arguing. The men started arguing and then gunplay erupted. California cities seem such "wonderful" places.

And this is the influence that is moving to Missouri.

Great. Just great.

This is why I don't like to tell anybody that I came here from CA. I have met more people with your attitude here, then nice and friendly folk. I didn't choose to move here but Uncle Sam said we had to, so here we are. I've lived on both coasts and upper Midwest and have always made the best of where ever we lived, but have never encountered such unwelcoming, rude and mean people as I have here. Before you ask if I even gave them a chance, I sure did. I'm always polite, friendly and courteous and quite often don't receive this in return. For 2 yrs I've tried getting a job, but can't get hired because I'm not from here or don't have relatives that are from here. We're good neighbors and would do anything for anybody, but it's people like you that won't even give us the time of day.
It's probably not like this in every town, but the one we chose certainly is. I wish I had known 'cause I would've moved closer to the Fort so at least we would've been around people who are the same.

[Silvermouse]

Originally Posted by cali-grown

I wish I had known 'cause I would've moved closer to the Fort so at least we would've been around people who are the same.

That's probably true.

Sorry you are having a hard time of it. As they say - times are tough all over. Does that make you feel better? Me either.

Hang in there.

[christina0001]

I have fortunately had the opposite experience; most folks I meet are interested or at least amused that I am from NJ, and don't seem to hold it against me. And they always say: "You don't have that accent!" (No, I don't, I am not from the NE area of NJ that hugs NYC.) Definitely though, in small towns here and also probably in most small towns anywhere, getting a job can hugely depend on who you know. I worked very hard at building positive professional relationships as soon as I got here, and that mixed with luck and the grace of God have kept me employed.

I would recommend the Ozarks to anyone; I love it here.