Thanks for your comment, Miles2gO. I now have 'lived' (if you call it that ;-) in Richmond for 2 years. I actually have met a number of people who moved from other places and were not enjoying the natives' lack of social skills either! As one co-worker put it, only in Richmond can you find so many "redneck snobs." I thought that was pretty funny!
I'm from Ohio, too, and Ohio has to be one of the most well-adjusted, unpretentious, and totally down-to-earth places ever. In Ohio, the snobbiness you find here would just make people laugh out loud! So, I think that's why you're taking it hard.
That being said, folks here from NY and NJ have told me that it's unfriendly, too... They advised me to seek out others from outside the state to bond with more easily. (which is kind of scary--it is 2008, people!)
Check out Ed's comment that smacks of the rigid intolerance you can encounter here. People here do think that the Midwest is just a bunch of "flyover" states. The funny part is that the people and action in the Midwest creates a lot more happiness.
I don't see why people act this way here. While living in major cities in Ohio, I experienced immensely better shopping, education, nightlife, entertainment, restaurants, sophistication, etc. WITHOUT snotty fools.
Finally, I actually think it's sad that some Richmonders cling to their 'secret password' existence. They are missing out on great times and making some great, true friends, and frankly, your friendships are one of the best things in life. Period. I don't think it's healthy for people to cloister off here either. I lived in the Midwest for some 30 years, but only since I've been in Richmond have I heard of co-workers driving a man to suicide and I myself came upon a suicide scene! I kid you not. A man jumped out of a window head first onto the courtyard of my luxury apartment complex in Downtown Richmond. (And he didn't jump because of the beautiful weather here!) I put out flowers for him and another person did, too. Then someone removed them quickly. It was kind of cold and I think that whole episode speaks for itself about Richmond!
Katrice |
Richmond, VA |
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