I don’t live in Seattle. For some reason, many people think the rest of the Northwest is hicksville. I just don’t get it, and sometimes, just sometimes, the comments and cracks bum me out. We live in a very nice town- and I love it here. Sure, we may not be cosmopolitan, but we are an easy drive from Seattle if we need some big-city culture. We don’t have an Ikea, but Seattle does, and I can go there if I need it bad enough.
Not all people who opt to live in smaller towns are backward hicks. Just needed to say that.
So I’m taking a day or two off to go sew. I owe some folks some things, and I need to make stuff. Rant over.
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May 2, 2008 at 9:42 am
glittersmama
Ditto.
May 2, 2008 at 10:08 am
cheryl
I grew up in a very small city in Idaho. My hubby (whilst we were a datin’
assumed it was bigger than it was because of the way I described my growing-up years. He figured my city was at least 100,000 or more. Imagine his shock when I took him there for the first time and the population sign read 9, 987. And there were cowboys. And farms. He was floored. Absolutely floored that a “hick girl” like me could have been so…educated. “Refined”, I guess. And even though he still makes fun of me for being from a hick town, his prejudice is gone.
Seriously, I don’t know why people assume big cities are somehow better. What gives?
May 2, 2008 at 10:25 am
tracy m
You know, I moved here from one of the biggest, slickest metro areas in the entire country. I would see famous people when I walked down the street to get my lunch. I’ve talked to people whose names are known all over the globe. I’ve walked accross the Golden Gate Bridge with friends from Europe, taken Cable cars to dinner, heck, I even drove into the Cable Car barn one night on accident, and they turned my car around on the turntable. I know the guy who wrote the OS your computer is probably running- and I left it all.
And you know what? I wouldn’t go back. I love where I am now. I love the slower pace, the lack of pretension, the lack of caring what the neighbors are up to, the lack of keeping up with the latest fads and fashions…
Many people I love have chosen other than me- and it makes no difference. I just don’t understand putting down someone else’s choices when they are different than your own.
Is it really necessary to disparage where I live? Is it necessary to assume I have no class, style or education? Because I’ll tell you what- when you do that, I’m not the one who looks stupid.
May 2, 2008 at 10:49 am
bythelbs
Hicksville?! You’ve never come off as hicksville to me.
I live in a smallish WA town, too—north of Seattle. I grew up in So. CA and I loved it, but I wouldn’t trade where I’m at now to live back there.
Don’t pay any attention to the haters!
May 2, 2008 at 11:23 am
jen38
No matter where I live, I will always be a girl that grew up in a small college town in Indiana. Living in a sprawling, polluted, densely populated area doesn’t equal refinement or class. Although I love to visit major metropolitan areas, generally I find those environments stressful, unhealthy, and depressing.
John Mellencamp is from my neck of the woods.
Well I was born in a small town
And I live in a small town
Probly die in a small town
Oh, those small communities
All my friends are so small town
My parents live in the same small town
My job is so small town
Provides little opportunity
Educated in a small town
Taught the fear of Jesus in a small town
Used to daydream in that small town
Another boring romantic thats me
But Ive seen it all in a small town
Had myself a ball in a small town
Married an l.a. doll and brought her to this small town
Now shes small town just like me
No I cannot forget where it is that I come from
I cannot forget the people who love me
Yeah, I can be myself here in this small town
And people let me be just what I want to be
Got nothing against a big town
Still hayseed enough to say
Look whos in the big town
But my bed is in a small town
Oh, and thats good enough for me
Well I was born in a small town
And I can breathe in a small town
Gonna die in this small town
And thats probly where theyll bury me
Heck, I am making my family some Enchiladas for dinner tonight! Have a wonderful weekend!
May 2, 2008 at 11:24 am
justbarefoot
I wondered if you were actually “in” Seattle… I grew up in Puyallup and LOVED it, but I wouldn’t consider it “hicksville” either… maybe the “O” next to it, but not Puyallup!
May 2, 2008 at 11:26 am
justbarefoot
Me again… sorry! But this is such a small world… Jen38-we’re now living in a small Indiana town just north of Indianapolis, and I love it here. Blog-world is fabulous, you never know who you’ll run into!
May 2, 2008 at 11:38 am
jen38
I am missing Indiana so much lately. I am so glad you love it there.
Big Hugs justbarefoot!
May 2, 2008 at 11:58 am
tftcarrie
Sorry about stupid people, but ignoring everything in favor of sewing is the best! I for one did it yesterday. Wish we lived closer so we could sew together. “Projecting” is always more fun with a friend.
May 2, 2008 at 12:14 pm
D. Golden Shizzle
having an IKEA around isn’t all its cracked up to be. the gates of hell are opened with an Allen Wrench!
May 2, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Jami
Enjoy your time off.
I live in one of those mushed together cities which isn’t too big on its own but is just part of never-ending pavement of the metro area. Our city prides itself on being two hours in most directions from amazingly important and entertaining places. The hole in the middle of a donut, if you will. Kind of sad when the city’s paid for publicity campaign is “Sure we’re boring but in two hours you can be somewhere else.”
May 2, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Susan M
justbarefoot: I grew up in Kent, which I considered the sticks at the time. Puyallup was total hickville!
Of course now both are just suburbs of Seattle.
I prefer small towns or inner cities. Love them both. Hate the suburbs. So where do I end up now? Major suburbia. But it’s a surf community, which makes it cool.
May 2, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Richelle F
I also grew up in a small town. We lived in a bigger city before moving where we are now, and I like it here better. I prefer to not have so much traffic and craziness to deal with all the time. But a visit to a bigger city is always fun!
May 2, 2008 at 2:31 pm
elasticwaistbandlady
We just got back from spending a day out in the country with some homeschooling friends. They have a delightful little house in the middle of 12 acres. They’re a good 15-20 minutes away from “civilization” and I ENVY them!
May 2, 2008 at 3:17 pm
Leslie
I’ve lived in cities most of my life…just moved back to a large metropolitain area after living for 3 years in a VERY small town in Idaho (not as small as Cheryl’s hometown…but I digress). People here don’t understand how I could have lived for so long in such a hole. They assume that the people there are all bored stiff and have nothing to do. Guess what…they are just as busy as the people here, except they don’t have to wait at traffic lights for 25 minutes just to turn left!
May 2, 2008 at 6:39 pm
justbarefoot
You know, I do love being in the suburbs or even a small city, as long as it’s close to a big city (ie: San Fran & Seattle!). Carmel is fabulous, but Indianapolis isn’t what I consider a real metropolis for diversity and fun things to do. But it gets the job done, and make me really appreciate what I “used” to have.
Susan M… Kent! Not even “that” much better than Puyallup, come on!
At least we weren’t in the “O” (Orting, yikes!).
DM, thanks for getting this post started, it’s entertained me all day. Seriously!
May 2, 2008 at 6:41 pm
justbarefoot
You know, I do love being in the suburbs or even a small city, as long as it’s close to a big city (ie: San Fran & Seattle!). Carmel is fabulous, but Indianapolis isn’t what I consider a real metropolis for diversity and fun things to do. But it gets the job done, and make me really appreciate what I “used” to have.
Susan M… Kent! Not even “that” much better than Puyallup, come on!
At least we weren’t in the “O” (Orting, yikes!).
DM, thanks for getting this post started, it’s entertained me all day. Seriously!
May 2, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Ron
Hi Tracy,
Some of us would love to live in a small town - we are actually thinking of moving up there in about a year - and oh I can’t wait. I actually grew up in a small town ( Napa CA) and now live here in Phoenix AZ - and I hate it - way too hot for me - give me rain and clouds any day- and greenery - everything is brown here.
May 2, 2008 at 10:13 pm
mo mommy
See, I really love where we are because we’re outside of “the city” which is where Tracy lives, but close enough to drive there for all the creature comforts. Count me as a ’small town-driving to big town’ type.
May 3, 2008 at 8:46 am
hairyshoefairy
I’m kind of torn because I grew up most of my life in a tiny town. I live in a city now, though, and absolutely love it. But with trying to raise a family I think we’re headed back to a smaller town where we actually know all our neighbors and have land (more than 6 inches) of our own to play on and enjoy. And a small town certainly does not a hick make.
May 3, 2008 at 8:56 am
mo mommy
And you’re right, we may live in a really big farm town, but we have a real life cheese shop; so how backwards could it really be?!
May 3, 2008 at 9:54 am
tracy m
Yeah!
May 3, 2008 at 5:50 pm
moddy
We now live about 30 min. from Boise and I love it. I look out my back window and see farm land. While we won’t be here forever I’m loving it while it lasts.
Ron I spent some time in Napa, loved it, beautiful town. I grew up in Santa Rosa, which some people at that time considered it to be the “city” to all the towns around it, but for me the “city” will always be San Fran. I always thought of Santa Rosa to be a small town, but when I go back to visit, it’s too busy for me.
May 4, 2008 at 1:42 pm
2xaday
I know all too well how you feel about small town bigotry. It is absolutely everywhere and it contains in it not only towns, but states as well. I also know that some people can’t live outside of their comfort zone and don’t like to think that their could be a better place for them than where they are. What stinks is that when people think that you are less than them because of your choices and they try to influence you with their beliefs. All that does is show how mean someone can be. Some people try hard to boost their own self esteem by knocking someone else’s life down. Keep in mind, it is not only done outright in exactly what people say, but more obscure reasons as well…. ie…name dropping