why asked:

quote:

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"I grew up in Blairsville. Then I managed to escape." Is this a statement against life in Blairsville??

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You do realise that this means you will be due to return when you're middle-aged?

Until then . . .

Wildflower

Blairsville is a nice place to live, if you don't have to work and if you don't to deal with the kind of social cliques that pervade the lives of youth. It's just not suitable for young rational thinkers.

I work at home, so am independent. I'm here for the scenery, the nature and peace, and to escape the city.

But, yes, I don't consider this the most intellectually curious place on Earth!

Now if all the good stuff could coexist with more inquiring minds (and a real bookstore), then this would be Heaven!

LOL!

Wildflower

It's such a pretty pleasant place. Glad it's in Towns! Ha!

Wildflower

I'm gonna swim, I'm gonna dance, I'm gonna enjoy this day and everyday and I'm proud my boy is growing up in Blairsville.

When I don't feel that happy, I'll get up and move to what will make me happy, because live is short and then you die, enjoy each day to the fullest, do a kind deed, say a kind work, stick to your morals and values and spread good things and good things will follow you in the world to come!

Some day you will learn that education does not come only from a book, the education that really matters is that we experence in every day life. The works of Shakesphere are to be enjoyed not disected for metaphor, sentence structure and punctuation. I have failed to use physics for a number of years although I had to buy a geometry book several years ago to refresh my memory on certain formulas.

I'm not trying to lessen the importance of education, I'm just saying that you can be educated and still not know anything that applies to everyday life. I have seen too many people that were highly educated that had no common sense. I have also seen many who you would never know that they had a very good educational background as they didn't dewell on it. An educationed professional friend and former boss of mine once told me that you are better off when you realize that an education is only a tool and just as with other tools, they enable you to do a better job when used properly.

WF, BGs speaking of becomming a professor brings up something that I thought of yesterday, I thought you might be a college professor as your attitudes and beliefs seem to fit the model. Since you say that you work at home, I now know that thought was wrong.

I once listened to a commencement address at a well respected university by a professor from California whose views were so liberal that had I been able to I would have requested a refund of all tuitions paid by my realative.

"And most importantly, I escaped from the complete vacuum of educational opportunity to somewhere where my mental abilities can be honed to a brilliant edge, and more importantly, used instead of reducing myself to the level of an automaton." You make this statment and you still express the desire to return and teach at Young Harris? If the educational opperutnities are so bad in this area why do you account for so many prominant people who were educated by the mountain schools and graduated from Young Harris?

If you were treated bad while in school in this area I'm sorry, I'm not around the school system these days and I don't know about the students daily lives. I attended three different elementry schools and three high schools (two of which were around Atlanta, which by the way is my version of a "cess pool")as my folks liked to change houses and locations fairly often before I came back here to finish HS. I found that you have "cliques or groups" at all schools. I found that you can be friends with most groups, I was above average IQ wise (not bragging) but my grades sometimes didn't show it (very much not bragging)so I was at home around the "smart" kids, I played football so I was at home around the "jocks" (many of which were also in the smart but otherwise occupied group), I didn't have feel I should look down at those who had less than me and I didn't feel unaccepted by those who had more.

If you feel that you must go somewhere else to find yourself, please do so and enjoy your life, we'll still be here if you want to come back and will be glad to welcome you. If you can come back to better the education level of those growing up here in the future my hats off to you and I wish you luck and Gods speed.

Another day in paradise.

why

why

On one hand, by coming here, we gain peace, beauty, nature, and to an extent, a small-town friendliness where people wave to each other.

On the other hand, we lose being able to take for granted a certain worldly knowledge in the community.

I think sometimes we newcomers sound like we are looking down on the natives. I can't speak for others, but I don't think I really do. I think growing up here gives a person both strengths and weaknesses. Any place you grow up does that.

A lot of people don't even realise the effect a place has had on them. Some attitudes are so ingrained in them at such an early age, that the influence of their surroundings is invisible to them. They think they have an opinion that is all their own, but they are really reflecting the way they were raised.

I think when we say something critical, it's because we are coming up against ingrained unexamined beliefs.

I also think as newcomers, in some ways we are adding to the community, and in some ways we are taking away from it.

Our presence has added more amenities and more jobs in construction at least. I think we bring in new progressive ideas too.

But we are also raising prices and taking over farm land and wilderness. This affects wildlife as well as people. A friend of mine just told me that a lot was cleared in their new development, and they found a "nesting area" where a deer had been raising her fawns. Sad!!!

And there you have it.

I am hoping that somehow, the result of all this intermingling will be to retain the best of the mountain ways and bring in the best of the newcomer ways.

Well, we can hope!

Wildflower

quote:

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BG, I left here after school and worked all over the south east, I never found a place that I wanted to live except here.

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Hmmm. Should I say "Welcome to my world."?

I guess it depends on how much interacting you need to do here. I work at home and I work with someone with similar (not identical) views.

I can't say I'm really trying to fit in. I know I'm certainly not going to change my views to suit others, just to make them feel all warm and cuddly toward me. I have to take them as they are, and they must do the same.

On the other hand, almost all the people I know aren't from here. Even so, I can't say they see everything the way I do.

One's personal situation has a lot to do with whether you feel at home here, or not. If I had to work outside the house with a bunch of people I couldn't fathom, I'd probably be miserable.

I would think if you taught at Young Harris, you'd feel right at home.

Wildflower

I guess I fly in the face of what you feel about Blairsville. My experience is somewhat opposite yours. I grew up in just about the center of education (New Haven, CT). Its everything B-ville isnt! Urbane, Highly educated, Liberal, Multicultural, Wealthy and on the ocean. Heck, within 1/4 mile of my house lived Nobel prize winners, famous musicians, top business people and politicians yada yada yada! On the other hand it was Dirty, Crowded, Expensive, dangerous, Elitists, hard to start a business and all the negative things about a strong liberal government interfering with your life. And there are tons of morons there too...just like Blairsville. Same losers hanging out in parking lots with loud vehicles. Only they drive imports up north, but same vacant slack jawed look.

I do have an education. Education isnt everything in making a living! I left my undergrad in history in my LAST semester and have done OK. I could go back and finish, but why bother. There are a lot better ways to make a living than getting up at the crack of dawn to teach history. I went for the best reason....simply getting educated! In fact, most of the truly wealthy people Ive known didnt got to college. Believe me, its not for not having known people from all walks. I wouldnt trade my education for anything, but dont dismiss those that dont go off to college. Showing up for 120 semester hours donst make you smart or successful, It just means you had some spare time and money.
Of the 2 richest men I know...one knocked out his high school principal and by 25 had 150 employees working for him. The other quit college to sell sewing machines and now owns majority stock in a huge national retailer you have shopped at before. Both are so smart and wise they would make your "brilliant edge" look like that old Ginsu in the bottom of my tackle box.

Anyhow, at 30 I moved to Blairsville. I have done most of the things you left Blairsville to do. Lived in New York, got to play the big shot in a suit, had my own business, lived some serious nightlife, had eclectic and interesting friends and enjoyed the mundane trappings of "sophisticated" life. Basically everything you cant do here! Like everything else in life, you get tired of things at some point. I simply wanted a peaceful place where I didnt have to make six figures working 80hrs a week to afford a modest house like my friends up there still do! One day you realize the biggest effect all those interesting people from around the world actually have on your life is causing traffic because they cant drive. All those Yale educated people are as dull as can be because they dont have a clue about the world outside their cocoon. A night out isnt worth the hangover and suits are uncomfortable and the owner of the firm donst have to wear one!

I got tired of the rat race and moved here. While I do miss good food, having somewhere to go at night and a few other things, I would never want to go back. I never want to be some sap stuck sitting in rush hour traffic everyday. That defines being a looser to me! And to be quite honest, there is alot more opportunity here than almost anywhere Ive been. True, there arent a lot of mediocre jobs for your B.S. educated drone and there are lots of people here without the skills or brain to tap into anything but McDonalds. But for somebody with wits and ambition, all I can say is WOW! You can actually afford to start a business here. Housing is cheep too! For you to be so dis-missive of Blairsville highlights your age and lack of life experience.

Now I do know exactly where your coming from. I do worry about my future children becoming redneck idiots. It will be a great place to grow up, but they will likely hate us for living here once they turn about 14. Closed-minded people are OK if they have exposure to more than just them. If they start wanting a jacked up pickup....off to private school they go! I think I would feel like a failure as a parent if my children never left Blairsville. There is such a big world out there that they need to experience. This isnt the place you come to focus on the outside world! Its a great place to focus on the things that really matter when you get to the next stage in life. I know many of those cogs sitting in traffic wish they could live here. If you are just a cog with no talent or ambition,,,this a very very bad place to find work. When the novelty of your new world wears off, perhaps you will not feel so un-enthusiastic about this place.

There is a reason thousands of successful, educated people have moved here in the last few years (all be it mostly retired)Its a great place to live if you dont need a boss and have already experienced the things you havn't yet.

I can also empathize with your problems with faculty. There was no name for it back in the 1980's but I had/have bad ADD. My IQ in first grade was 136 (not genuis but better than 99 out of 100 kids). I kept getting bad grades. The stupid school shrink was sent to examine me. Kept saying I had emotional problems. Told me I had emotional problems and home problems. NO WAY. I had a great family and was a happy polite kid. Just didnt do my work! (god did they make me cry) They needed to have an answer for their bosses. So they made them up at my expense. Skip to 1993 and I was about to graduate high school. The fools realized through my mothers efforts I was failed to be diagnosed with ADD. By law they had to test me. Gesss what? To protect themselves..they claimed I fudged the ADD tests to look like I had it, they also said I somehow must have cheated on my IQ test. THEY WERE covering their buts at my expense! The were scared! I was ranked dead last in my class Jr. year, but was in the top 2% IQ wise even though they used the adult IQ test because I had just turned 18 to slant it in their favor.
Just a funny note, I took that same test again when I was 28 and I am now 30% dumber! You do get dumber as you get older!

Growing up here I got to see my cousins come up from Atlanta in which was the city life of city to me.. They had designer named shoes, clothes and knew words that I still have never had any need of using for such as rooms or food.. I did envy them. I wanted to be the college girl who drove the ritzy car that had her own apartment who was whoever it was that had it all.. for a short period while they were here.. visiting.. I got a breath of the way they loved differently even tho in the same state, and yeah I guess you can call it.. inspiring until they left or I went to visit them and saw it for what it was truly worth.
Thank God that those daydreams of being absolutely who I am not didnt ever come about... I like my house in the mountains and using the words that others around me can understand.. and if they dont, they usually ask nicely what they mean and begin using them as well... like yuns... until I was an adult I had never been asked what that meant and Ive used it since I was old enough to say it.. just like quiche was a foreign word to me until someone explained what it was and I actually tried it to form an opinion of what I felt personally about it.. I must admit I love quiche and learning the word, what it was and is and how good it taste..
Ive misjudged lotsa things by not being educated fully. Ive been an idiot many times in my life and tho I am classified as redneck, I dont mind to dress up for a galla and I would never shun sitting close to a poor person let alone a millionair even tho me being poor might offend a millionair..

Live on your own terms and if Blairsville wasnt good for you or good enough, then you missed most of Blairsville. I am proud to be from here. I wasnt the best in school and I know they were happy to see me gone, at least some of them... but those who have made my life in Blairsville something more than here and there.. outweighed those who
I look back on and say, I am soo thankful I am not in that hell anymore.. if I or anyone sat and dwelled on the bad in people, places or things only.. thats all we would have, and there is no joy in that.
Theres gonna be bad, mistreatment, unequalness, rich people, poor people, rednecks, tightwads, idiots and boring rocket scientist, drama queens, do gooders and do badders no matter where you go. This part is gonna cost ya more than that part of towners.. make your life on your terms where ever you go.. sounds like Spam has made the choice to.. just remember, its your choice from where you choose to take yourself... for better or for worse. Bad comes around to everyone.. I am learning still that its how we cope and deal with it that makes it ours to do.

I liked your post Spam in many ways.. for whatever that may be worth to you.

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.
Sir Winston Churchill

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.
Sir Winston Churchill

You nailed it on the head! Coming here is very much a "Time of Life" thing.

There is much that I miss in the city. But I sure don't miss it enough to go back!!!

And if I did go back to the city, there is far more that I would miss from RIGHT HERE than I could ever miss about the city!

DoC,

I will admit that I sometmes get frustrated with attitudes here. It's because some attitudes really hold people back and hurt them. Of course, some of those same attitudes exist in people in the city too!

Even so, I know it's unreasonable. All people are a product of their environment to some extent. I know people here have done the best they could with what they had. It would be impossible for a small town to have the resources of a city with two million people.

Therefore, to judge country people is stupid.

I also know that if it came down to sheer survival in the event of a disaster, the country folk would sure come out ahead. They haven't forgotten how to grow vegetables and live off the land as much as we have.

We all have different strengths and weaknesses depending on what sort of life we've lived. You can always educate yourself more and still appreciate the strengths that you do have from growing up here. Don't forget that you have your own strengths!

Don't apologize for growing up here.

I am hoping that knowledge and awareness can be raised here over time, while not forgetting how to be close to the land and each other.

Wildflower

And too on the jobs.. It all depends on who you know. I remember I went for a job interview at the bank years ago,& I was told that I had the job,because I had experience with working with the public. I also didn't use some family pull to get the job either,I wanted to get the job for me,not for who I was.I have never used any family pull- That's not me.

To make along story short,someone else got the job,with this person pulling every string& then some.

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.
Sir Winston Churchill

I know from experience that moving here without a specific job to come to is very tough. Not impossible, but tough.

And, in the early days here, I know there were a couple of situations where I wasn't even called in to interview because they wanted locals.

On the other hand, believe it or not, there was the local attorney who hired me partly because he liked me, and partly because I wasn't local! It was only a part-time job and he got over 60 applications!!!

Luckily for me, he had been having a tough time with previous locals he'd hired being flaky. By the time I was ready to move on, he did hire a local. But it was someone he knew by experience and trusted.

So, you never know, sometimes things work for you, and sometimes against.

Wildflower

Blairsville still has a caste system. Years ago, I was assured a job in the courthouse, Probate Judge. Had all the experience required and training. Lost it. The girl they hired had experience in sales at the drugstore and worked 3 weeks at the bank. Oh Yeah, her daddy use to do something with the county. She stayed long enough to job hop off to another job. SO it's not only people who move here, it's the people who live here who suffer to. There are several banks in the county I won't do business with because I know the true nature of their employees.

I have been at my current job for 15 years this past April. A nice couple who moved here from Florida, started a business and took a chance on me. (Boy did they get the pick of the litter :))

Because I am local I know who is sleeping with who, and all the good gossip. However, I don't spread it around. As long as people don't bother me, I don't bother them.

I am entitled to my opinion. If anyone ask, I tell them. I don't have a lot of friends but I do have true friends.

The people who really get under my skin are the churchy people. Don't get me wrong, I go to Church. Not to impress anybody but God. They get all dressed up in their finery, smile and pray and then won't turn to speak to you on the street because they think they are better than you. I have been asked are you a Christian, I say NO! but I am spiritual. Boy that really get's you a strange look. I tell them I pray and know God but Timothy McVeigh was a Christian along a few other nuts. Therefore I don't fit into their category.

I am who I am. You can't please everyone so you might as well please yourself.

NOW: I have had a few run-ins with folks who "ain't from around here." There are bad people everywhere in the world so we just have to learn to stay away from them.

I have had to correct newcomers on several occasions because they took it upon themselves to criticize the way I and the people from this area talk. I feel they do it because they have been allowed to get away with it. NOT WITH ME!! IF you openly criticize me (which they have) I will get right back at 'cha. That doesn't mean I don't like people, I love to talk. I just don't like mean people and I hate the words native and non-native.

I am a full believer in southern hospitality.

Now if you want to meet full blown red-neck, meet my husband. We butt heads over his ways and the things he says. He works 40+ hours a week, thinks welfare is the biggest waste of money and hunts to provide healthy, hormone free meat for his family. Give me a man who can survive outdoors and protect and provide for his family. I will take a good old country boy any day of the week over a tie wearing, loafer shining, politically correct, city boy.

Ya'll just remember, I LOVE EVERYBODY! Some just more than others.

If it's any consolation to you, it's considered to be the height of rudeness to correct anyone's grammar, word usage, pronunciation, or accent, unless they are your own children.

So, the people who corrected you, showed nothing except that they have a lack of manners. Which makes it comical that they were correcting you.

Wildflower

Blairsville, Georgia - home in the North GA Mountains

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