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The drive through the Mojave isn't the adventure it used to be. I think of The Grapes of Wrath and Granma Joad dying in an overloaded jalopy driving through there. Those were the days!
I can’t remember when driving through the Mojave was ever any kind of adventure.
Las Cruces NM is becoming a popular retirement area.
Las Cruces is the best place to retire with these sunny advantages:
Enjoy warm-weather health benefits.
Experience the change of seasons in a temperate southwest environment.
Live a carefree lifestyle with increased opportunities for outdoor fun.
Test your swing at the award-winning Sonoma Ranch Golf Course. https://www.hakesbrothers.com/blog/l...ace-to-retire/
Las Cruces NM is becoming a popular retirement area.
Las Cruces is the best place to retire with these sunny advantages:
Enjoy warm-weather health benefits.
Experience the change of seasons in a temperate southwest environment.
Live a carefree lifestyle with increased opportunities for outdoor fun.
Test your swing at the award-winning Sonoma Ranch Golf Course. https://www.hakesbrothers.com/blog/l...ace-to-retire/
Just a bit cynical with this Hakes Brothers presentation. For starters, we don't have 320 days of sunshine a year. If the sun comes out for 10 minutes, for instance, does that count? Because that's about what happened yesterday. Also, one of the fittest cities? I click on the source, and the same publication is using Newark as the fittest city in New Jersey? I've lived most of my life in New Jersey. I can assure you that Newark is far from the fittest city. Perhaps if running from the police at a sustained rate counted, then Newark would qualify.
There is another thread that got me reflecting on this one, and it's about the culture of New Mexico. The people of NM tend to be humble, we do not like to flaunt ourselves as some other states do. And this is possibly also at the core of why we rank so low on different scales of "success" compared to other states.
In local parlance, to be "creÃdo" or to say of someone "se cree" points out a sin, to believe oneself to be superior to others. Those who do will quickly be put in their place. This is the antithesis of the competitive nature of the rest of the country where it's "everyone for themselves", striving to be better than others, to get an "edge" over the competitors. The "Protestant work ethic" was never part of New Mexico culture until Protestants came, and started punishing Native Americans and Hispanos, forcing them to speak English, cutting off their hair, and beating them into submission. Needless to say that didn't go over well.
So we seem like underachievers compared to the rest of the country, but that's the measuring stick the rest of the country uses. Maybe we are better at cooperation and caring than competition, which doesn't get the attention it deserves.
There is another thread that got me reflecting on this one, and it's about the culture of New Mexico. The people of NM tend to be humble, we do not like to flaunt ourselves as some other states do. And this is possibly also at the core of why we rank so low on different scales of "success" compared to other states.
In local parlance, to be "creÃdo" or to say of someone "se cree" points out a sin, to believe oneself to be superior to others. Those who do will quickly be put in their place. This is the antithesis of the competitive nature of the rest of the country where it's "everyone for themselves", striving to be better than others, to get an "edge" over the competitors. The "Protestant work ethic" was never part of New Mexico culture until Protestants came, and started punishing Native Americans and Hispanos, forcing them to speak English, cutting off their hair, and beating them into submission. Needless to say that didn't go over well.
So we seem like underachievers compared to the rest of the country, but that's the measuring stick the rest of the country uses. Maybe we are better at cooperation and caring than competition, which doesn't get the attention it deserves.
So we seem like underachievers compared to the rest of the country, but that's the measuring stick the rest of the country uses. Maybe we are better at cooperation and caring than competition, which doesn't get the attention it deserves.
You said that better than I could. New Mexico is a different place than most of the US and has been from the get-go. The state seems somewhat exotic and backward and hard to understand to those outsiders who fail to invest the time and attention that is needed. If they apply the standards that might work in many other states, as a shortcut, they might be disappointed. Some rules don't apply. I do think that success, wealth, poverty, and respect are viewed (and expressed?) through a different lens here to some extent. That difference is one reason why I landed here. That is also why New Mexico might not be for everyone.
You said that better than I could. New Mexico is a different place than most of the US and has been from the get-go. The state seems somewhat exotic and backward and hard to understand to those outsiders who fail to invest the time and attention that is needed. If they apply the standards that might work in many other states, as a shortcut, they might be disappointed. Some rules don't apply. I do think that success, wealth, poverty, and respect are viewed (and expressed?) through a different lens here to some extent. That difference is one reason why I landed here. That is also why New Mexico might not be for everyone.
After all, we are known as the Land of Mañana, and our state motto "It Grows as it Goes" ("Crescit Eundo") is not exactly a Fortune 500 approach to life. It is a place where some people dream of going to give up the rate race and throw pots. I think this is an important function.
In terms of corporate Fortune 500 attention, my understanding is NM has a very different tax structure due to federal rules and land that make it difficult to succeed comparative to other states nearby.
In general NM is not a very "hey look at me" state. People tend to prefer simple and quiet lifestyles. I would love to see NM grow and prosper, but at what cost? Does NM really want to become the next California Jr?
First off, I have not been there so forgive me if this post seems ignorant. I got to thinking the other day, people talk so much about California, Arizona, and Texas but New Mexico seems left out. At least in my experience it seems you never hear about snowbirds going there, you never hear about people vacationing there, and you never hear about people moving to or from there?
Is it vastly different from the other three in some way? Or is it a well kept secret? I don't know if this seems vague or not, but it seems like it's not talked about much. Or am I just living under a rock?
You may not be living under a rock but instead have a different focus. We do have snow birds and vacationers/tourists. In Roswell the biggest industry is tourism, same with Santa Fe. We even have a lot of movie stars and famous artists that live or have lived in New Mexico (Burl Ives lived in New Mexico for example). There is no comapison to New Mexico and California, some comparison to Arizona so I am not sure why you are not seeing anything about New Mexico. I hope you come visit but I also hope you don't move here, the environment can't support the population we have.
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