For those who have problems with rural Nebraska (Omaha, Union: credit, college)

[itsMeFred]

Hopefully, if your lucky you won't run into one of these people, if you do then "sticks and stones may break my bones," move on to a better life like ColeSD did and hope for those people to get a clue.

Or, with any kind of luck, once you do run into these kinds of people you've been in the community long enough to have made yourself familiar.
Ie, there will be those agin' ya, and those fer ya. and those fer ya will help you stick it out until it all blows over.

[bgrams7]

Originally Posted by DTO Luv

1. Learn what a paragraph is.

2. This is a perfect example of the outstate Nebraska arrogance I talked about in another thread. You claim that just because you're from small town Nebraska that you're endowed from birth with values like hard work, respect, and being friendly. So small town Nebraska is the only place to learn that? Please.

Then you go on to say that you only know small town Nebraska and make generally sweeping statements about "especially Omaha". I have actually lived both sides of the coin so I feel I can say with more certainty that small town Nebraskans definitely buy into their own hype and aren't as virtous as they make themselves out to be.

Well for one, I'm not writing a report, so I really didn't think it was necessary to space it all out into paragraphs and making it look nice for your sake. And don't bash my intelligence with another smart-ass remark like that. Practically every single paper that I've written for school since I was in middle school, I've receive an A on. You don't know me, so keep your mouth shut in that regard by not making any more assumptions.

Two, I never said that all I know is small town Nebraska. When I was 6, I moved to Lincoln with my mom and lived here until I turned 11, when I moved back. That's in addition to the year and a half I've lived here for college, as well as Lincoln remaining a second home to me throughout the years, so altogether, I've lived in Lincoln for roughly 6 years, compared to 13 years or so in a small town.

Third, I don't believe that my post showed any arrogance on my part, much less me buying into the "small town hype", or however you put it. I'm just standing up for small towns across the state due to the numerous posts I've seen on here bashing rural Nebraska. My main question in the post was why some people dislike the state outside of Lincoln and Omaha, and to provide examples, rather than generalizations based on one or two bad experiences that you've had. As far as you alleging that I believe I'm "endowed from birth with values like hard work, respect, and being friendly", my family raised me with those values, but it was never something that I felt entitled to beings I'm from a small town. I never said that people from the Lincoln or Omaha areas aren't raised with those same values, but respect seems to more prevalent in rural communities than it is in any bigger town or city throughout the country, not just Lincoln or Omaha.

Finally, did you miss the part that said I'm proud of everything this state has to offer, including Lincoln and Omaha? Every time I've gone to Omaha, whether it's been for the CWS, state track, or just to visit, I've had a good time. Lincoln and Omaha give our state recognition nationally, and anything that gives the state positive attention from the rest of the country is a great thing. What I am referring to though is a certain cockiness that people from the Metro have compared to that of the rest of the state. Whether it's talking to people from the Metro face-to-face, or on other message boards, it just seems that many people from the Omaha-area feel that they're better than the rest of the state. I'm not saying this is true about all, or even most people from Omaha, but there are a few out there that make it seem that way. I know several people from Omaha who are great people, and I'm sure there are hundreds of thousands of people in the Metro that are the same way. But maybe that sense of cockiness is based on what I've read of your posts on the subject and how you misconstrue people's statements to work it into your argument. Who knows?

[tpabes]

A little off topic, but I love this series they do on NTV called the Road Less Traveled, they are visiting every town in their viewing area (Central and Western Nebraska, Northern Kansas). They pick a town every week and do a story about them. For example, this week was Hebron and they talked about the Worlds Largest Porch Swing, how the town got it's name from the bible, and town features. They even go to some "ghost" towns. Here is a link.

NTV - KHGI/KWNB/WSWS-CA - Where your news comes first. - Grand Island, Kearney, Hastings, Lincoln | Road Less Traveled (http://www.nebraska.tv/Global/category.asp?C=106820&nav=menu605_5_6 - broken link)

[mattpoulsen]

Tpabes,

That is an excellent find! That should be posted as its own thread. I think that gives people as much insight into small town NE as anything...short of visiting the towns in person.

On a personal note, #75 is the town I attended highschool (Bartlett). My actual hometown (Ericson) hasn't been picked yet, but is the "other" town of the two in Wheeler County. I was surprised to here that my old highschool receives NO state funding. Definitely something I would've like to have known when battling people (mainly Mattden) over the drain small schools are on the state's budget.

At any rate...good work!

[itsMeFred]

I have a good friend that grew up in that area, matt. She was a Palmer and would have graduated HS (Bartlett) in '95.

[mattpoulsen]

Actually, she graduated in 1994...in my class. I know her very well. We don't keep in touch that much but we used to hang out quite a bit. Furthermore, her brother is now dating my sister. Just to be sure...her first initial is A...correct?

It has to be because there is only one Palmer family that went to my school.

[ColeSD]

Bgrams: with all due respect, if you read all the posts, you'll SEE specific examples!

forgive me if I screw up the quotes (from several threads): "They were called f***ing Jews to their faces."
"I don't think the Black man will get along here" "the waitress was rude and didn't want to make us pizza" "outsiders are not accepted"

and MY experience includes absolute ignorance as well. I know you're defending the honor of your state, but if you really read the posts, all of these examples I'm referring to actually refer to ONE place in the state.

Forgive me, I forgot who wrote it, but I think it is a tribal/area culture thing, too. Several of us are all actually referring to a very small part of the state, which is basically Cedar County.

I've also been very vocal about saying "I think my experience was unique." I DON'T think the entire state hates Hispanics and Jewish people, which seems to be what the culture of this area is.

Let me be clear: Our experience was unique. I don't think the whole state hates Hispanics.

[itsMeFred]

Originally Posted by mattpoulsen

Actually, she graduated in 1994...in my class. I know her very well. We don't keep in touch that much but we used to hang out quite a bit. Furthermore, her brother is now dating my sister. Just to be sure...her first initial is A...correct?

Yep, as are those of her two boys. lol
And yeah, '94 if I would have thought about it a bit longer. She's two years younger than me. She and her husband were good friends of my husband and I when we were all in college. They're actually two of the few people we've stayed close to after we all graduated.

[mattpoulsen]

Small world. Interesting. The last time I saw her was at our 10 year reunion. I'm sure I'll see her at our 15 year, which isn't too far off.

[ComputerUser000]

Originally Posted by mattpoulsen

I have lived in small towns and the "outside factor" is a function of your own paranoia. People from big towns (and I'm now a big city guy) go to small towns and don't feel like they fit in and because they don't know anybody or don't understand the slower pace they seem to think that people are accepting them. My experience has always been that small towns are very accepting of outsiders. But they're not going to be if you have a chip on your shoulders about it. It goes both ways.

This is an old post, I realize that.. but I just found out.. and wanted to give my two cents.

I basically echo the comments everyone else has made.Those "outsiders" who claim to have problems or not being accepted by people in "rural" Nebraska are usually the ones bringing the attitude and problems, but don't realize it.

I'm a big city boy by nature of where I was born and grew up, but I've lived in a decent sized, yet rural North Dakota town.....a small, semi rural South Carolina town and here in Ord. I have yet to EVER encounter a problem, being an outsider, at least no one's said anything to my face. However, if people were speaking behind my back, believeyoume, I'D FIND OUT!

I go in with a very open mind when I move to a small town. I ask LOTS of questions, where this is, where that is.. what's a good place to buy there, where do I go and eat.. how do I do this? And you know what, people LOVE to talk, people LOVE to tell you about their town..... I could go to downtown Ord and talk to "Old man Carl" at the gas station, and he knows I'm an "outsider", but we've sat and b"sed for an hour about whatever, mainly about the town.

Come into things with an open mind, treat people with respect, kill 'em with kindness. I'm not originally from the Midwest or South, but those values with respect to , well respecting others and being polite have worn off on me.

I love small, semi rural towns. To me, they provide many more things that you can never get from a big town.. that are way more important then any store or entertainment center could ever give you.. and worth more money then you could ever pay. (FOr the most part, safety.. low crime, good qualtiy of life)

I always "issue" a little "disclaimer".. My success in small towns could very well be because of what I do for a living, and I highly suspect so. I end up working for THE radio station in town, so in that first week I'm on the air.. i get lots of phone calls welcoming me to town, or people stopping me on the street or in the store, because it's easy to spot a newbie like me, since im a name they dont recognize.

The golden rule applies here folks, Do unto others as you'd have others do unto you. Think about this too, it's a way of thinking i've recently adopted.. If you can fix it or change it, why worry? Just go about your life...

oh, one LAST piece, wether visiting a small rural town from a bigger town or moving here. .DONT EVER expect things to be the same. Wipe that slate clean!