Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I do a lot of home repairs myself too. But being disabled now, I'm no longer able to climb roofs and crawl under houses like I used to, so there are things I have no option but to get someone else to do. The thing I need done now takes special equipment that only mobile home set-up people have, so there's no doing that job myself, even if I were able.
I know what your talking about. It is frustrating. It took me about 7 different people and 2 yrs. to get some pasture cleared.
see thats my worry of home ownership in general, alot of stuff i CAN do myself, but due to a nasty injury there are some things im limited on...
guess ill just have to make sure to get friendly with all the neighbors when i get my own little homestead.
i do agree though if someone says there going to do something thats great, if things change, something comes up thats fine too, but at least call and say "hey something came up"
I love the way folks in The South get slower the nastier people get. And like RS said, word spreads fast and the next thing you know you don't get the phone call. They know that now your little problem has turned into a bigger problem. One of the biggest mistakes people make is thinking that southerners are stupid.
Even in a city like Knoxville, it is more like a town and everyone knows everyone else. I am constantly fascinated by that. Even the newcomers, if they are polite, don't act like jerks that are entitled to everything, and act condescending to the "stupid, lazy" locals, start to know everyone and make great friends and contacts.
It's funny, but this happens all over the world, too.
I was a reporter in a small town in Mass., and a lot of people came from Boston and built their homes at the bottom of a hill. They surrounded the whole darn hill. Up on top was a pig farm. Well, come spring, the place could smell a bit "ripe." Oh, how that infuriated people.
When I first started working for the cable company, a woman from Michigan called. She had an appointment the day after Christmas for an installation. She said she was moving in earlier and friends were coming into town and she needed her cable installed Christmas Eve day. I told her we were totally booked for Christmas Eve and I just couldn't do it, but I apologized. She said, "Look. I am willing to pay someone extra money. Surely you people around here need it."
She just thought that she could buy someone. That the guys were all so desperate. The truth was there wasn't an opening. I guess she thought if she waved her money around we would "forget" about another customer. sigh.
All I know is there is two sides to every story. Lot of people move here and think that they are more important than everyone else. They think the locals are "quaint" and not too bright. When you think those things they usually come out in your actions, one way or another. Next thing you know, no one seems to be able to help you.
Well I'm always very friendly with people I hire, and I don't call local folks stupid or slow or anything like that, because I know they're not, so that's not it in my case. In fact, I've been told I'm "too nice" and let workers walk all over me. The only thing I did this last time was explain to the contractor that the past few contractors I hired didn't show up, and asked him if he definitely wanted the job. Nothing rude about that. Can't always place the blame on "non-natives" who weren't born and raised here being nasty, because that just isn't true in many cases. And I certainly don't feel "entitled" to anything more than common courtesy. Unless expecting someone to do the job they were hired to do is considered feeling "entitled".
I love the way folks in The South get slower the nastier people get.
Hehe, I do this sometimes. If I'm driving five over the speed limit, and someone's tailgating me, I'll slow down to exactly the speed limit. Some figure it out and back off, and then I speed back up. But others get angrier and get even closer, so then I drop below the speed limit. It's a maximum speed limit, after all.
Concerning contractors: I work in a business where I come in contact with a lot of contractors. Some are the friendliest, kindest people you'll ever meet, and others are just plain nasty. I had one I know rewire my house when I was remodeling it. He's the nicest guy ever and does excellent work, but to be honest, it took a while to actually get him over here. Same goes for the guy who built my cabinets, and the guy who installed my windows. All are incredibly nice and do great work, but for whatever reasons it was just really hard to get them here to do the work. And I don't think it was me, because I was always nice and patient with them, and always paid them immediately. I even helped one of them do the work!
I love the way folks in The South get slower the nastier people get. And like RS said, word spreads fast and the next thing you know you don't get the phone call. They know that now your little problem has turned into a bigger problem. One of the biggest mistakes people make is thinking that southerners are stupid.
Even in a city like Knoxville, it is more like a town and everyone knows everyone else. I am constantly fascinated by that. Even the newcomers, if they are polite, don't act like jerks that are entitled to everything, and act condescending to the "stupid, lazy" locals, start to know everyone and make great friends and contacts.
It's funny, but this happens all over the world, too.
I was a reporter in a small town in Mass., and a lot of people came from Boston and built their homes at the bottom of a hill. They surrounded the whole darn hill. Up on top was a pig farm. Well, come spring, the place could smell a bit "ripe." Oh, how that infuriated people.
When I first started working for the cable company, a woman from Michigan called. She had an appointment the day after Christmas for an installation. She said she was moving in earlier and friends were coming into town and she needed her cable installed Christmas Eve day. I told her we were totally booked for Christmas Eve and I just couldn't do it, but I apologized. She said, "Look. I am willing to pay someone extra money. Surely you people around here need it."
She just thought that she could buy someone. That the guys were all so desperate. The truth was there wasn't an opening. I guess she thought if she waved her money around we would "forget" about another customer. sigh.
All I know is there is two sides to every story. Lot of people move here and think that they are more important than everyone else. They think the locals are "quaint" and not too bright. When you think those things they usually come out in your actions, one way or another. Next thing you know, no one seems to be able to help you.
Are you sure the woman was really from Michigan??? What makes me doubt she was from there was the fact that she had extra money to attempt the bribe. I live in Michigan and I know none of us have money anymore, we are a state of poor people. All kidding aside, I find it shameful when I hear people from Michigan behaving like that, very embarassing for our state. That is not how we are, at least not most of us. All it takes is one person like that to make 1000 other Michigananders look bad.
Are you sure the woman was really from Michigan??? What makes me doubt she was from there was the fact that she had extra money to attempt the bribe. I live in Michigan and I know none of us have money anymore, we are a state of poor people. All kidding aside, I find it shameful when I hear people from Michigan behaving like that, very embarassing for our state. That is not how we are, at least not most of us. All it takes is one person like that to make 1000 other Michigananders look bad.
Don't feel bad. She was a jerk. She could have been from anywhere. If it helps, it was in 2006, so that may be why she still had money.
I came to this thread because I was looking into a job posting in Nashville. I had lived in TN way back in the 70's and 80's and was curious to see what the responses to the original question were. Throughout my childhood, as a result of divorce, I would move from Long Island , NY where I was born and lived with my father to Dickson TN where my mother lived. I can tell all of you that my experience in the Volunteer State was sometimes OK but mostly, horrible.
The OK: The streams and open land were a natural playground for a young man and to have the ability to explore it felt like an adventure everyday. Canoeing, fishing, water skiing, camping, hiking, were at my fingertips and I loved it (still do). Tennessee also had a lower driving age than NY so I thought I was getting a jump on that over my friends in NY, especially when I got my motorcycle license at 14. I also developed a love for Southern Barbecue and Fried Chicken that remains to this day.
But, I was a big-hearted, wide eyed kid who was ready to be friends with everyone so I couldn't understand when other people didn't act the same way. I also didn't understand prejudice (religious, racial, regional, ethnic). This is where the horrible comes in. On my first day of school in the 4th grade, I encountered a kid (blond hair, blue eyed little Aryan twit who's probably working in a cross factory) who was looking at me with such a look of absolute hatred on his face as I was trying to find my seat in the bleachers. As I went past him he called me a "damn Yankee!" with such force and hatred I felt like he spit it at me! I had never met him before in my life and maybe a bit of my NY accent came through when I said, "excuse me" but I really didn't know what to say. This was 1977! One hundred and twelve years after the end of the Civil War!
As I grew, I encountered varying degrees of the "Redneck" or small town country culture and found it really loathsome. No one says the "N" word with more hatred in their voice than a southerner. They just have it down. Also,the small minded kids who would judge you for the lack of an alligator on your shirt or the lack of a swoosh on your shoes-this never happened on Long Island. The constantly being asked which Church I attended and when my response was "Catholic" being told that they hoped I would see the error of my ways. Where I came from you were either Catholic or Jewish or nothing so, again, I was confused. The way I learned it was that the first "Christians" were the Catholics ("upon this Rock, build my church"-you know, Saint Peter?!!) So, all you "Christians" who love your Bible can thank the Catholics for keeping it alive through all these centuries so you can have it to love! (You're Welcome!) Another big WTF moment-the use of corporal punishment methods in the schools!-yes, Virginia, they whip kids with straps and paddles when they talk back or chew gum. Another one, the fact that a school dance couldn't be held in the high school gym because the locals thought dancing was sinful and should therefore not be condoned by the public high school. (That was something out of a really bad Kevin Bacon movie, still unreal to me.)
Now, I am part Italian, which I have always been pretty proud of. I actually look that way, another something I have always liked about myself. The people in the South defy ethnic description, if asked what their heritage is they respond "Uh-Mair-Ih-Can". They are comprised of two groups, "white" and "not-white". There isn't any diversity really at all. That might appeal to some people, you know who you are. I generally like everyone until they give me a reason not to and I think Hindu women are mysterious and beautiful so, there just isn't any hope for me. Southerners look very white bread to me (think Paula Dean)-some can be very good looking, most OK looking, some downright inbred. Being of Italian descent and being Catholic was a huge detriment in the south due to the small mindedness of the inhabitants that I encountered (very strange the difference between NY and TN on this because, being Italian in the 70's and 80's in NY was nothing but cool. The joke, in NY, was that there were two kinds of people in the world-Italians and those who wanted to be Italian. I love the saying that America is an Italian country-discovered by one and named after another).
So, in retrospect, I will let the job in Nashville go to some small minded, Aryan, religious zealot, tobacco chewing, country music/football/Nascar/pro wrestling/tractor pull fan who will fit right in to "y'all's" way of life. It seems time hasn't healed the wounds "y'all's" little country town have left on me. It's too bad because TN is absolutely beautiful. Like most places, it's the people that screw it up.
Because I know people who read this will want to know, I live on the West coast now (Reno, Nevada), and that is probably where I will stay. I might want to move on to the Pacific Northwest for a job eventually, seeing as Nevada's been hit so hard by the economy. I guess I had a moment of weakness thinking about how pretty it is in TN and how cheap things are, but, I guess, once bitten, twice shy. I don't think I could ever live there again, I like the wide openness of the West and I like the lack of extreme religion out here too. I also like the complete lack of bugs and humidity as well as the clearbluesky 300 days a year. I also love being right next to California without paying California taxes (no state income tax in the Silver State!) I have beautiful mountains, beautiful mountain lakes, and crystal clear streams at my fingertips, too!
Thanks for letting me share, I know I am coming across like a jerk but I really don't mean too much disrespect, I just wanted to say that not everyone who ventures south of the Mason Dixon finds the warmest of greetings waiting for them. I tell people today that the South just felt like a bunch of angry people lining up for their chance to hate someone. (I remember one time -1984!- I was coming down off of a mountain trail in eastern TN and finding a small town that still had segregated bathrooms! Actually had "colored" and "white" bathrooms!) So, if "y'all" can embrace that kind of life and feel good about it, so be it, I just never could without wishing to change it. If you move there after reading this and start complaining, then I guess you are an idiot because you have been warned. It's just not going to change regardless of how much you want it to. If you are a kid and find similar circumstances, I feel sorry for you. Just keep in mind that you will grow up and be able to leave and be happy again.
Last edited by clearbluesky; 02-23-2011 at 01:33 PM..
Im sorry you have such bad memories. I would call BS on some of what you wrote based on my own experiences. I move to TN in 1975 from Dayton OH to a very very small town. Much more rural than Dickson which is really considered part of Nashville's metropolotian area.
I rarely hear the "N" word spoken even among drunk rednecks. Although when I vist Dayton, I hear the "N" word constantly. Our family did not attend church and we were never harrassed about our lack of religion. My little school, with a average graduating class of 25, had sponsered dances with all sorts of wiggling and giggling going on. Actually, none of the churches with the exception of some strict Church of Christ had a problem with dancing.
As far as diversity, in the 70's and 80's there was not much diversity in my area although there were people of several different heritages usually German, Irish, Scottish and English. Of course there would not be the amount seen in NJ as the NE is usually the area most immigrants first settled. But dont be mistaken that the area now is quite diverse. Even in Monterey, population 2500, there are many hispanics, Indians, some blacks and even Koreans. We also have besides Christians, Catholics, Budists, Wiccans and Athists.
As far as corporal punishment, that was also the case in the school I attended in Ohio.
As for racial segregation in 1984, I dont think so.
But Im am glad you are happy where you are, I think the western US is also beautiful. Tennessee is not for everyone.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
) who was looking at me with such a look of absolute hatred on his face as I was trying to find my seat in the bleachers. As I went past him he called me a "damn Yankee!" with such force and hatred I felt like he spit it at me! I had never met him before in my life and maybe a bit of my NY accent came through when I said, "excuse me" but I really didn't know what to say. This was 1977! One hundred and twelve years after the end of the Civil War! 
