A Thanksgiving thought or two

Happy Thanksgiving Rona.

This blog has indeed become alive. And stayed that way. Impressive.

On the post - I do think New Englanders are standoffish, and slow to warm, though warm once you know them. I like living here, but I miss the warmth of the south in a number of ways.

Have a great Thanksgiving, Rona!

Having visited a fair number of these United States, and most of Europe, plus Canada and Mexico, I can say that New Englanders are more standoffish than any people I have ever encountered. Except for maybe the French.

They're a funny lot. In general, New England has a lot going for it--low crime overall, high educational achievement, and a greater interest in the rest of the world than many other Americans. But if you didn't grow up here, you will never really belong. Your kids probably will. And I don't buy the old saw, that once you know a New Englander, they're a true friend like no other. I think people are much more into themselves compared to, say, Midwesterners.

All that said, it is kind of curious how warm some places are. On the street where I used to live in Cambridge, no one said hello to anyone. Two blocks over, every single passerby said hello to you, smiled and nodded. It was like a different country.

Anyway, happy Thanksgiving, Rona. I hope you have a good one.

Happy Thanksgiving to you, Rona; and to all of the blog readers and posters, too.

I'm a lifelong-new Englander. I'm also Black. and my family moved a lot. Except for 1 town with a large military community, I've never felt accepted here.

The longest I've lived in one place was 10 years in a town near Worcester. The population consisted of French-Canadians, Poles, FInns, and Everyone Else. We moved there when I was 8, and they never forgave us for moving in. The year I left for college, my family's financial problems made the paper. People I'd known for years stopped talking to me. In the same town. people still condemn the local paper for publishing stories about priests molesting children. I haven't set foot in that town since..

I've been in Boston for 8 years, and I've found lots of people who have had the same friends since birth or college, and aren't interested in making new friends.

I have family in the Midwest and the South. and I've found the people there friendlier and more open to meeting new people. I'm trying to move out there.

Liz - I've no trouble believing you. I'm not sure its because your black though (at least in Boston - I'm sad to say I know of areas around Boston where that would be relevant)

But it doesn't matter if you are white. Its gradually changing, but in general Bostonians simply aren't interested in meeting people they haven't grown up with. So the best thing to do is to make friends with people who move here from other places, who are in the same boat. Luckily there are more and more of those, so the traditional parochial insularity should eventually erode.