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and I still think it has to do with where we were raised or are from most recently. I am not going to say people in NM were rude, they were not, they just were not like the people in the south, especially the kids. As for being friendly, that is totally different. Most everyone we ever meant in NM were friendly. They were so nice that I still rememer the one that wasn't..And when we were back there about a week ago, I saw her again. I thought I would get stuck going through the check out stand she was manning, Luckily we didn't so my last impression of Belen wasn't negative.
I think that parents nowadays that have kids don't know how to be a parent or are so self absorbed, they don't care. When I was in Walmart the other day, there was a toddler in the basket screaming loudly. The mother was ignoring him and the father was on his cell phone.
The way I was raised and people of my generation and older were raised, growing up in the 70's and before, were taught manners and respect. Now the kids I see are unruly not only toward other kids but adults as well and the adults seem to think it's cute.
Somewhere down the line, someone is failing as a parent.
I think there's a lot of truth in all the comments above. Manners do need to be taught ( I learned from the "Berenstein Bears Please and Thank you" Book, and then that was continually reinforced by my parents.) Of course the Southern states pretty much set the bar on good manners. I worked in TX a few years before coming here and I have to say I was really impressed with TX manners and the way the kids there were taught to be polite and considerate. Texans take a bad rap in this state, I guess it's a rivalry thing, but in the manners department they really outshine New Mexicans-in my humble opinion.
Unfortunately I think it's a sign of the times. IMO it's a combo of bad parenting, and also apathetic, self-absorbed kids more interested in high-tech gadgets than actual people.
I agree with Cathy's comment about Alamo. The younger adults we interacted with [ice cream shop, coffee place] all seemed outgoing & polite. The people of Alamo must be doing something right.
Although people in NM are generally friendly, it's hard to beat the South for friendliness. I love how the kids in the South say "No, ma'am" and "Yes, sir"--I hope that doesn't change.
I agree that way too many people--kids and adults--are too absorbed in their Blackberries. Why do people need to be e-mailing 24/7?
When I lived in the South, I was always taken aback when a group of typical looking surly, self-absorbed, over confident teenagers would ma'am and sir with the best of them. Completely unexpected,and nice.
I always liked how even the adults would treat someone older than them (and when I say the adults an example would be someone in their late 50s talking to someone in their late 60s) with a large amount of respect and break out the ma'ams and sirs.
One thing you have to understand about the south, particularly adult southerners- I don't think the kids have the nuances yet. I refer to it as artificial friendliness. They shake your hand with one and stab you in the back with the other. The south is VERY cliquish- but it's not always evident.
I shoot from the hip for the most part, but can and will turn on the suthern' charm and can cut you down with a smile and leave you thinking i'm the sweetest lil' ol' thang. Not used often, but when I get my dander up........ ;0) We southern women know how to do anger in style, I guess.
Perhaps this is educational, because it's hard to believe these younger people grew up around the older, polite people and weren't taught how to behave. That said, I still think New Mexicans as a whole are a pretty friendly bunch. At an auction a few weeks ago, I had forgotten my bidder number in the truck and Greg went back for it. He was gone a loooong time and when he came back, he was with an older gentleman. We walked and talked up to the auction grounds and then he after bidding us goodbye, he was gone. A few hours later, I'm wandering the stacks o' stuff and hear "How many horses do you have?" It's the man, now accompanied by a few others. They asked questions about horses/horse rescue/livestock in general and we spent a pleasurable fifteen minutes or so talking.
I've never met a stranger (thank you for those genetics, Dad.) so maybe that has something to do with it-this expecting everyone to be as friendly and open as I am. Lose me anywhere and you can look for the nearest huddle of old men- i'm the one in the middle talking with them about everything under the sun :0)
One thing you have to understand about the south, particularly adult southerners- I don't think the kids have the nuances yet. I refer to it as artificial friendliness. They shake your hand with one and stab you in the back with the other. The south is VERY cliquish- but it's not always evident.
I shoot from the hip for the most part, but can and will turn on the suthern' charm and can cut you down with a smile and leave you thinking i'm the sweetest lil' ol' thang. Not used often, but when I get my dander up........ ;0) We southern women know how to do anger in style, I guess.
Perhaps this is educational, because it's hard to believe these younger people grew up around the older, polite people and weren't taught how to behave. That said, I still think New Mexicans as a whole are a pretty friendly bunch. At an auction a few weeks ago, I had forgotten my bidder number in the truck and Greg went back for it. He was gone a loooong time and when he came back, he was with an older gentleman. We walked and talked up to the auction grounds and then he after bidding us goodbye, he was gone. A few hours later, I'm wandering the stacks o' stuff and hear "How many horses do you have?" It's the man, now accompanied by a few others. They asked questions about horses/horse rescue/livestock in general and we spent a pleasurable fifteen minutes or so talking.
I've never met a stranger (thank you for those genetics, Dad.) so maybe that has something to do with it-this expecting everyone to be as friendly and open as I am. Lose me anywhere and you can look for the nearest huddle of old men- i'm the one in the middle talking with them about everything under the sun :0)
I agree about the southen kids, but at least they are polite to your face, they don't let the door slam on you. Here is just one small example which really impressed me or actually 2 and I can think of many more: right after we moved to AR I was in the restroom at Wal Mart. I was waiting for a stall when a young girl about 10 came out. The first thing she said was, Oh I am sorry, here let me hold the door for you. I thought I would pass out, I haven't seen manners like that in God knows how long. A similar thing happened not too long ago at our small local grocery store. A young man about 14 or so offered me a cart and asked if he could get the door for me. Of course I have seen some pretty rude kids as well, saw a few in Sams a couple fo months ago. They were teens, were with their parents and they been my kids they would have been standing outside.
A couple of years ago in the forum, (maybe other topics or relationships, can't remember which one) there was a thread on the differences between people, mostly women in the south compared to the north.
Most agreed that the Northern women are more blunt and honest and the Southern women are nice in a fake kind of way because that's how they were taught to be.
I've lived in different parts of the United States and people seem to have been taught differently in different parts of the country.
Guess that's what makes the world go around right?
I personally don't think that being a friendly or unfriendly person makes a difference to some people as some people are going to be rude anyway and as much as we all love NM, it's not going to be all friendly.
The unfriendly are not worth your time to be concerned with. Go with the people that like and accept you all for who you are, accents included.
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And when we were back there about a week ago, I saw her again. I thought I would get stuck going through the check out stand she was manning, Luckily we didn't so my last impression of Belen wasn't negative. 
