Comments on: MN Culture

By: mazasa

mazasa — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:44:27 +0000

I came hear from AZ, and found the MN folks to be un-friendly as you described.

As a native, let me try to explain. Years ago, this place used to be a whole lot nicer. Idyllic even. But then people started moving to this area who brought a whole lot of baggage with them. Drugs. Violent crime. General thuggery. Our taxes went way up to pay for many more cops than we ever needed before. We had to build a new prison. Our streets became less safe. Our schools turned to sh*t. Our traditions and culture of going up north to the cabin or pursuing our favorite pastimes of huntin, fishin, campin, and boatin were ridiculed and even came under attack as politically incorrect.

Know-it-alls from the coasts tell us on a daily basis that our towns' infrastructure, transportation, architecture, indeed our entire way of life is all wrong and needs to be changed to look like some city like Boston or San Francisco or worse, someplace in Europe they once visited. And when we give them a collective "no thanks, we like it here the way it is" they think we're being terminally provincial.

So you take all those factors and the result is a native population that isn't too anxious to hear that you're another one of those outsiders who love us so much you just had to live here, and oh by the way, here's a list of new accommodations we'll have to provide because you're here.

So when you happen to overhear some locals whisper to each other, "he's not from here," you'll know what they're really thinking.

- a native

By: mdgross

mdgross — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:49:11 +0000

I came hear from AZ, and found the MN folks to be un-friendly as you described. After a few years of observation it occurred to me that everybody is from MN, and they all speak the same language. On the other hand, everybody from AZ is from some place else, and this forces them to open up to strangers to make friends. With that said, I no longer think they are mean, just different than my past experience.

Same goes for CA and FL

By: lolls

lolls — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 21:09:06 +0000

ever think we as minnesotans just don’t dig drama as much as most? i think most people figure people are dealing with enough shit in life so why add to it, just to create more? but we do vent on our friends about it, because ya gotta get it out – but why create more shit to deal with? now, all we need to learn is who we can vent to and who we cannot. it’s just a way of life. sometimes it just isn’t gossip, but people getting other people’s perspectives. a lot of the issues concerning making friends after you’re out of college is because everyone’s starting to settle down and start families. so meeting people gets tougher. i myself have a few friends from way back, but they aren’t my closest friends. those would be people from many places. i truly think the differences are between people and not based on where they live. and people like yourself krad, just like to generalize because it poses an easier ‘fight’ and is soaked in drama. it’s just life. get over it.

By: wayne

wayne — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 17:09:03 +0000

PS-mad thanks for the drinks, fellas.

By: Bixby

Bixby — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 06:48:12 +0000

And to another responder — I’m still a little sickened (speaking of ad nauseum) at the whole “love it or leave it” thang, which underscores a lot of your reponses.

Okay, clearly you’ve never been to New York…or America.

By: Bixby

Bixby — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 06:46:00 +0000

oh, and this whole hang out with your first grade friends thing is weird, too, yoshi. I went to a K-12 school, where there were 300 kids in the entire school. I coordinate school reunions and while we stay in touch, we would find a little weird to all hang out constantly.

You apparently have never met any east coast private school alumni.

By: Raindog66

Raindog66 — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 06:01:38 +0000

jderusha the fact that you drive a VW makes me like you even more.

I am THAT shallow.

Also, I really get off on your killer gams.

Peace, Apple Sauce Lips!

By: mnblrmkr

mnblrmkr — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 03:55:16 +0000

"You should try bars. Early in the evening. Works great. And I'd say 90% of my friends have come from associations with other friends....but the ball doesn't roll itself."

The closest I've come to meeting anyone in a bar: I had wrapped up work late, and decided to stop at a bar in NE, that was on my bus route to get something to eat and catch part of a game.

My food had just been put in front of me, and some woman who had come down from the club portion upstairs came up and started talking. SInce I can't hear well, if at all in places like that, I put my hand to my ear and said "What?" She simply grabs a large handful of fires off my plate and walks back upstairs.

By: mnblrmkr

mnblrmkr — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 03:52:56 +0000

"We just don't get that kind of news here."

Nah. We just get stories about how our fire chief is a serial sexual harrasser.

By: kwatt

kwatt — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 03:51:12 +0000

Listening to the Dodgers game on LA radio, they just had a news tease talking about how “the new mayor’s main squeeze” was fired from a hispanic television station.

We just don’t get that kind of news here.