Friendliness? (Madison, Evansville, Wayne: new home, to live in, store)

[Nicci6Squirrels]

I had a 15 minute conversation with a stranger outside the library yesterday. I mistakenly thought she was an old friend of mine and called her name. The woman must have had the same name because she answered! It wasn't until I was two feet away that I realized I'd made a mistake. We still talked about the books she had bought from the book sale in the library... and we chatted about piano playing (she had a piano music book) and after we said our good byes, I burst into laughter because it was such a surreal experience. I recently moved back to Wisconsin and I can say that things like this never happened anywhere else I've lived. AND, no Packer talk whatsoever. I find that a lot of the folks I chat with at libraries just couldn't care less about Packer-related stuff, which is great, since I have not even the first clue about football.

[thefragile]

Originally Posted by Nicci6Squirrels

I had a 15 minute conversation with a stranger outside the library yesterday. I mistakenly thought she was an old friend of mine and called her name. The woman must have had the same name because she answered! It wasn't until I was two feet away that I realized I'd made a mistake. We still talked about the books she had bought from the book sale in the library... and we chatted about piano playing (she had a piano music book) and after we said our good byes, I burst into laughter because it was such a surreal experience. I recently moved back to Wisconsin and I can say that things like this never happened anywhere else I've lived. AND, no Packer talk whatsoever. I find that a lot of the folks I chat with at libraries just couldn't care less about Packer-related stuff, which is great, since I have not even the first clue about football.

Haha, that's awesome! And yeah, I have no clue about football too. Sure, most people I come across are Packer fans & my FB wall the day of a Packer game is boring as crap because that's all anyone is posting about however, I have yet to have someone turn me away because I'm not a fan or have a conversation with someone that even touched on the topic of football/Packers.

[kwk337]

Originally Posted by Nicci6Squirrels

I recently moved back to Wisconsin and I can say that things like this never happened anywhere else I've lived.

Really? I had that experience last week outside a bar in Indianapolis, Indiana, where an old lady came up and talked about sharks and sex for 15 minutes. Never met her before in my life. I've had life-changing conversations at the urinal in Asheville, North Carolina. I've crossed a magical line on my bicycle in the uptight Boston area where suddenly people start waving at you again and saying hello for no apparent reason. In Maine and Oregon, I've been invited to stay in people's farmhouses just because they saw me riding down the street.

I'm sure that happens in Wisconsin. The difference is that in Wisconsin, people use it as an excuse to boast about how superior their state is to everybody else.

[Nicci6Squirrels]

Originally Posted by thefragile

Haha, that's awesome! And yeah, I have no clue about football too. Sure, most people I come across are Packer fans & my FB wall the day of a Packer game is boring as crap because that's all anyone is posting about however, I have yet to have someone turn me away because I'm not a fan or have a conversation with someone that even touched on the topic of football/Packers.

Last Sunday when "everyone" was watching the Packer game, my husband and I went to Horicon Marsh like a couple of old bird watchers. On the way, we saw some young adults in the middle of a residential street, drawing with sidewalk chalk! I had to laugh because I always ask people if they would like to do "performance art" rather than watching football. (The answer is always a resounding, "NO.") I don't know how it is that I grew up in Wisconsin but somehow missed getting the "Packer gene." Sometimes I feel a little left out, but not enough to do anything about it!

[cheese plate]

Originally Posted by kwk337

Really? I had that experience last week outside a bar in Indianapolis, Indiana, where an old lady came up and talked about sharks and sex for 15 minutes. Never met her before in my life. I've had life-changing conversations at the urinal in Asheville, North Carolina. I've crossed a magical line on my bicycle in the uptight Boston area where suddenly people start waving at you again and saying hello for no apparent reason. In Maine and Oregon, I've been invited to stay in people's farmhouses just because they saw me riding down the street.

I'm sure that happens in Wisconsin. The difference is that in Wisconsin, people use it as an excuse to boast about how superior their state is to everybody else.

And here comes the angry twist - welcome back milt!

[green_mariner]

Some people have mentioned that people in Wisconsin love football. I can say the very same thing about people from Georgia where I live. When football season starts, I find many people posting about their excitement about it. I find more people posting about football during football season than I do about baseball.

[thefragile]

Originally Posted by kwk337

Really? I had that experience last week outside a bar in Indianapolis, Indiana, where an old lady came up and talked about sharks and sex for 15 minutes. Never met her before in my life. I've had life-changing conversations at the urinal in Asheville, North Carolina. I've crossed a magical line on my bicycle in the uptight Boston area where suddenly people start waving at you again and saying hello for no apparent reason. In Maine and Oregon, I've been invited to stay in people's farmhouses just because they saw me riding down the street.

I'm sure that happens in Wisconsin. The difference is that in Wisconsin, people use it as an excuse to boast about how superior their state is to everybody else.

You never got in with the cool kids, did ya?

[green_mariner]

Over all, in my experience, many people I've met who are from Wisconsin are quite friendly. At least the ones I've met.

[kwk337]

Originally Posted by cheese plate

And here comes the angry twist - welcome back milt!

And here's the defensive quarterback coming in to defend the Pack and life in Mayberry. Must be some utopia you've got up there in Wisco.

The thing is, you hear this kind of rosy Chamber of Commerce promotional talk from a lot of states. Natives out in Cali think everything is just hunky-dory, how could anybody ever live anywhere else? I'm not the world's greatest apologist for Indiana, where I live now, but I've got to say: people here generally don't knock other states, with the possible exception of Kentucky.

Love, Milt. The party-pooper.

[Nicci6Squirrels]

Originally Posted by kwk337

Really? I had that experience last week outside a bar in Indianapolis, Indiana, where an old lady came up and talked about sharks and sex for 15 minutes. Never met her before in my life. I've had life-changing conversations at the urinal in Asheville, North Carolina. I've crossed a magical line on my bicycle in the uptight Boston area where suddenly people start waving at you again and saying hello for no apparent reason. In Maine and Oregon, I've been invited to stay in people's farmhouses just because they saw me riding down the street.

I'm sure that happens in Wisconsin. The difference is that in Wisconsin, people use it as an excuse to boast about how superior their state is to everybody else.

I've definitely never had life-changing conversations at a urinal. I can say that with 100% certainty. (Stand up peeing is not a skill I've been able to master.)


My anecdote was not a challenge. It was simply me sharing an anecdote in the spirit of the "Friendliness" thread. I chat with people everywhere I travel, no doubt. But this one yesterday was funny because I never even got the chance to say, "Oh, sorry, you're not who I thought you were!" She just started talking like we were old friends and never batted an eyeball.