I've just settled in by now. I've exited the phase where I tried to act Minnesota Nice (with a grudge) and I've passed into a phase or existence in which I just am. I think less about how I act, and less about how Minnesotans sometimes act, and I just exist. It's better.
I have this friend from school who grew up in the country of Georgia. She's bold, blunt, often crabby. And fabulously, refreshingly honest. She loves honesty in return. I always feel more like myself after I've been around her.
She's doing an assignment about diversity in which she's pushing the envelope of the criteria and choosing to document evidence of the Minnesota Nice phenomenon and how niceness can increase a sense of societal oppression. I know what she means! I love this idea.
I'm curious to know what comes to mind for you? What could she document/photograph? What is Minnesota Nice, specifically, literally? How does it play out?
p.s. I'm back on the blog! I intend to post some notes about pre-emptive measures I'm taking to brace myself for the winter, which the Farmer's Almanac is predicting to be a doozy again. Until then!
Showing posts with label friend. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friend. Show all posts
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Making friends
Making friends is no small feat for me. I'm introverted around everyone except exceptionally good friends I've known for years, and I'm super anxious in crowds of more than four people. So I don't collect new friends very easily. Sometimes the anxiety doesn't even show because I'm that good, but I'm kind-of a mess on the inside in social situations.
Therefore, it's been equally comforting and nerve racking to instantly acquire new people through L. upon moving here. L. is as social as I am socially phobic, has lived here for a decade, and actually likes most of her family. So I got to know a lot of people really quickly upon moving here.
I've heard more than a few times that Minnesotans are hard to get to know. I'm not exactly sure why, really. I'm in a graduate program with a lot of friendly, social, kind, and open people, and I work in a place with 300 employees. So I get to meet a lot of people, many of whom are Minnesota lifelong residents.
But the only person I've met here that I can actually begin to call my friend - not L.'s friend who befriended me (which has happened a lot, many of whom are you all reading this blog, and I'm super grateful for the connections, by the way) is actually not from here.
She's from Reno. I lived in Reno. And that's the main reason we started talking in the first place.
How strange that the single potential friend found on my own in my new home is not even from here.
So answer me this: What's behind the myth that Minnesotans are hard to get to know?
Therefore, it's been equally comforting and nerve racking to instantly acquire new people through L. upon moving here. L. is as social as I am socially phobic, has lived here for a decade, and actually likes most of her family. So I got to know a lot of people really quickly upon moving here.
I've heard more than a few times that Minnesotans are hard to get to know. I'm not exactly sure why, really. I'm in a graduate program with a lot of friendly, social, kind, and open people, and I work in a place with 300 employees. So I get to meet a lot of people, many of whom are Minnesota lifelong residents.
But the only person I've met here that I can actually begin to call my friend - not L.'s friend who befriended me (which has happened a lot, many of whom are you all reading this blog, and I'm super grateful for the connections, by the way) is actually not from here.
She's from Reno. I lived in Reno. And that's the main reason we started talking in the first place.
How strange that the single potential friend found on my own in my new home is not even from here.
So answer me this: What's behind the myth that Minnesotans are hard to get to know?
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