I suppose the title of this post is a bit misleading. After spending the last four or five days in Arkansas (specifically Hot Springs Village), I am gaining a new found respect for the South.
Truth be told, unless you've spent time in a given area of the country, you will have misconceptions of the unknown. Allow me to debunk some of these myths...but before doing so, let's remember, just about every state in America has some "backwoodsesque (sp?) areas" (aka hicktowns). You will come across these areas in Minnesota, California, and (seemingly more authentic versions) in Arkansas.
First, let me start with the people. In one word: welcoming. As a Minnesotan for the last 22 years, I have come to hear the saying "Minnesota Nice" for as long as I can remember. Forget about that. I find that to be one of the gross misrepresentations about Minnesota. This has become more true to me after experiencing the "Southern Hospitality" that the people of Hot Springs, AR have shown us. Even the people at the Chick-fil-a would start conversations with you that didn't take creepy turns (don't act like that doesn't happen at Burger King). My theory behind the overwhelming niceness of people is that the people in Arkansas are selfaware. They know how they are viewed by the rest of America (or the North--er, shall we say Yankees). Why not try and change any and all misconceptions, or, at the very least do their best to be "sneaky-nice" the first time they meet us? With that said (and with the exception of the asshat from Texas that I flipped off), the people of Hot Springs are the nicest I've encountered to date.
The second belief I would like to try and disprove is--well, perhaps it's best if I just give you a converstaion between myself and the bartender that served Andrea and I on Sunday night:
ME: I've been very pleasently surprised by Arkansas since we got here. It's nothing like I though it would be.
Shelly the Bartender: How so?
M: Well, when I was in Boston, and I told people I came from Minnesota, they assumed that I lived on a farm...even though...well, I did not. So when I tell people that I'm going to Arkansas, they assume...
STB: I know where you're going with that. People got Arkansas all wrong! I'm educated. I DO wear shoes. I have never fu***d my brother AND I have all of my teeth. As for toothless people around here, it's not because we have too much lead in the water. People just need to put the pipe down!
I can't argue with the lady that was throwing free drinks our way all night. It wouldn't be fair. It should be noted that the above exchange could not be made with an inhabitant of Jessieville, Arkansas...but the pictures are not online yet and that story deserves a picture montage to boot. We'll just tease that story with Andrea's favorite word this week: Delapitated.
This is where, sadly, I must sign off. We were just getting to the good stuff too: excessive nudity, chicken sandwiches, the rural superpower that is Wal-Mart, and Central Arkansas' version of the Dharma Initiative. It will all be touched on in the next posting (when I'm back in Minneapolis) later this week. Stay tuned.
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When people talk about "Minnesota" nice, they're typically referring to our aversion to confrontation. On the east coast, people are much more brash and up front, while us Scandinavian folk would rather keep everything bottled up. With that, I wouldn't be so fast in debunking Minnesota nice. In your context of a white male, it's easier to receive positive treatment, especially in the south. Imagine being gay or disabled...or a black man in the Florida panhandle.
ReplyDeleteOn average, I think you'll find your experiences in Minnesota much more pleasant than anywhere else in the country.