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Remembering growing up in N.H., so much of what made that a unique experience is gone. As I leave I contemplate a home town, that I can no longer drive through + know where I'm going. There are so many developments that orienting myself is nearly impossible. All of the places I hunted and fished, went blueberrying and snowmobiled as a kid are now somebody's back yard. I miss the smell of the grange hall and the Ad-hoc frrequent fundraiser (admittedly penny-Anty) ham+ bean suppers that promoted the sense of community, which now are so rare as to be non-existant.
Along with those community functions was the conversations with "Old-timers" around town, only too willing to share their experiences in town of obscure things like "Old Buddy" down by the lake that would leave for duck hunting with 3 shells in his pocket + consistantly return home with his limit of 3 ducks. Plus the stories of innocent mischief in a simpler time. In the words of one old timer, "It's not a camp, unless you can chase someone through the house with garden hose!" Admittedly the torch has been passed to younger persons as the older die off, but nothing but transient disconnected persons have replaced them, with apathetic thoughts of cashing in on home equity to finance their next Mercedes or Volvo.
Truly, the richness of life here has gone from this place. I wouldn't allow my kids to miss that!
Yankeehombre - the place you describe does not appear to exist anywhere anymore. Too bad, actually.
Instead of small and distributed functional communities with both agriculture and industry we have large concentrated administrative centers surrounded by huge auto commuting based bedroom communities. This has devastated our economy as well as our society. The wealth creation provided by the factories has moved overseas and the admin centers are just unproductive overhead. Speculating on real estate just transfers money from the buyers to the owners with the banks getting more than their fair share.
Yeah, things have changed, but not for the betterment of all. Just for the profit of the very few.
Yes, the seacoast has grown a lot over the past few years. But, you can find that sort of vibe in Northern NH and Vermont (except maybe the Burlington area). My town has some sort of supper or pancake breakfast once a month or so. WE have a nice sense of community.
I understand your sense of loss though. It is sad.
If I were to use a word it would be hollow,soulless, manequin, urbanite. Pick one or all. In fact much of our cultural polluters are from more urban areas all along the eastern seaboard. One tends to think of Mass,but it goes much deeper than that. It's people who's personal essence is little more than being a "Sox-Fan".
Yankeehombre - the place you describe does not appear to exist anywhere anymore. Too bad, actually.
Instead of small and distributed functional communities with both agriculture and industry we have large concentrated administrative centers surrounded by huge auto commuting based bedroom communities. This has devastated our economy as well as our society. The wealth creation provided by the factories has moved overseas and the admin centers are just unproductive overhead. Speculating on real estate just transfers money from the buyers to the owners with the banks getting more than their fair share.
Yeah, things have changed, but not for the betterment of all. Just for the profit of the very few.
Betterment? in what way? I suggest a field trip to Robies Country Store museum in Hooksett. (Robies.org) It is a tribute to the days when you could buy fresh locally baked donuts + a slice of cheddar "off the block" and gather round the pot bellied stove on a cold snowy winter day, and melt them in your mouth with a cup of coffee + decide the local question of the day with your neighbors, and warm your hands before you trudge home in the blowing snow, or find out how mny "colors" of lead line it takes to catch cold-water salmon on Winnipisaukee that week (how deep they are). Although no longer operating as a commercial venture, Jimmy Carter actually visited there to experience N.H. before it was gone, knowing it was a hotbed for political discussion. You can still get a sense of the rich flavor of life here from the museum.
Man - I'm not disagreeing with you. That New Hampshire has disappeared except for a very few places North of the Notch. Maybe I should have said "and not for the betterment of all." It has also disappeared from nearly everywhere else as well.
I do not like modern life anymore than you seem to. I would love to have the time, and maybe I will, after I retire, to spend time with others discussing the topic of the day. There has been a lot lost in converting us from neighbors to "Homo Industrialis Wallmartis Creditcardis".
GregW is right it's like that everywhere you go. I grew up in the city so I honestly don't feel crowded, but I would imagine someone who is from a truly rural town would with the influx of suburbanites to an area.
But it's not just the geography or population growth that's changed, it's the people. I grew up on a block (in NYC) where there were so many kids of the same age that all played with eachother...all the neighbors sitting out each night to watch the game (baseball, kickball or whatever we were playing) and they all knew eachother, they were all friends, every kid in the neighborhood and everyone watched out for the other. Now you are lucky to meet your neighbors, it's rare to know their names, and to have a conversation of any substance with a neighbor is like starring in an episode of the twilight zone.
I don't think it's specific to New Hampshire, and I don't think it's going to change soon.
Everybody laments about the good old days. How it used to be and such. To paraphrase a song, "These are the good old days (to some)". We all long for simpler days that no longer exist. To paraphrase another song, "Life sucks....and then you die". It's sad to think that some young people in the future will long for these days but our parents felt the same way.
Yankeehombre - the place you describe does not appear to exist anywhere anymore. Too bad, actually.
Instead of small and distributed functional communities with both agriculture and industry we have large concentrated administrative centers surrounded by huge auto commuting based bedroom communities. This has devastated our economy as well as our society. The wealth creation provided by the factories has moved overseas and the admin centers are just unproductive overhead. Speculating on real estate just transfers money from the buyers to the owners with the banks getting more than their fair share.
Yeah, things have changed, but not for the betterment of all. Just for the profit of the very few.
Aroostook County Maine is pretty "old town".
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