Do you think the place where you grew up has affected your life?

chic said:
Our accents were terrible but I didn't realize how awful they were until I grew up and met people without them. My Gran was European but with NO trace of an accent. She spoke flawless American English all her adult life. Is American English an oxymoron? :ROFLMAO:
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lol.. it kinda is.. but we know what you mean..:D
 

Do you think the place where you grew up has affected your life?​


Very much ... I grew up on a large dairy farm in the NE part of the country, with an abundance of animals around.
Since then, I have never been able to be without a pet or two my entire life, and I still love the country lifestyle and open spaces.
 
I'm the one you don't want to get started. I'm from Santa Cruz, California. Give me that cold damp fog bank any day. I'm also rather liberal but didn't have the look to fit into Santa Cruz. And forget what went on in the walls of those houses. Now I'm in the valley.
 

chic said:
Our accents were terrible but I didn't realize how awful they were until I grew up and met people without them. My Gran was European but with NO trace of an accent. She spoke flawless American English all her adult life. Is American English an oxymoron? :ROFLMAO:
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Growing up in the Midwest, I never thought I had an accent but when I lived in the Tidewater area of Virginia, people thought *I* talked "funny" because I pronounced Norfolk, Suffolk and Newport News like they were spelled. Now in Florida, people ask me if I'm from Canada. Wha???
 
jimintoronto said:
Movie Queen. What was your experience when you lived in Toronto, as an American kid ? How long were you here ? JimB.
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Hi Jim,B I attended Branksome Hall girls boarding school for 2 yrs when I was 12&13 in late 60's, truly hated it,I could write a book on my experiences.I purposedly got in with the wrong crowd to rebel against my parents, got expelled.I enjoyed living in the city from what I can remember,still a favorite Sue
 
moviequeen1 said:
Hi Jim,B I attended Branksome Hall girls boarding school for 2 yrs when I was 12&13 in late 60's, truly hated it,I could write a book on my experiences.I purposedly got in with the wrong crowd to rebel against my parents, got expelled.I enjoyed living in the city from what I can remember,still a favorite Sue
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I get it. The private girl's schools are a world apart from reality. Same for Upper Canada and Ridley College for boys. Thanks for the reply. JimB.
 
Thinking some more about this, I think that where I grew up also had an effect in turning me into the indoorsy type I am. In another thread here on SF where unhappy childhoods were being talked about, a member (don't remember who, sorry) replied that when things got bad at home, he'd leave the house and spend time in a nearby forest, that getting out into nature helped, IIRC. Well, the subdivision that I grew up in, being on the very bottom rung of the economic ladder that a subdivision could be, looked like this for too many years after it was built:

surburbia.jpg
So, never anyone home since a lot of single parents--a lot of single fathers for some reason; guess that's why dad chose it, felt like he fitted in maybe--always at work, and just bare dirt yards in most of them since very few had the time or money to landscape.

And no matter which direction I walked in, after about a 45 min. walk, this is where I arrived:

stripmall.jpg
Actually, the above pic's more interesting and pleasant than the real "shopping" near me; it was auto parts stores, car repair places, and liquor stores.

So nowhere within walking distance worth exploring, so I retreated into TV and books.
 
I grew up in a small mountain town in Colorado. The altitude was over 6,000 feet so winters were long and cold, with lots of snow. We also had a small College, that specialized in educating and training new teachers. For a kid this was the absolute best of all worlds as the college provided much for us at no cost such has an Olympic grade swimming pool, access to tennis courts, indoor and outdoor basketball courts and handball courts. Not to mention the library, large grassy areas to play on, college coaches who would provide training at night in many sports like basketball, wrestling, diving and swimming. Living in the mountains meant we could go fishing after school, go ice skating or skiing in the winter, etc. etc. In the summers we climbed many mountains, camped outdoors often, and road our bikes all over the valley we lived in.

The valley where we lived was primarily cattle country and many of my school mates lived on family ranches. I spent time out of the ranch with many over the years and had a chance to learn that I did not want to be a rancher. Too much hard work and long hours for me...

My parents moved us to a larger city following my 8th grade year. I was not pleased about missing high school with all the kids I grew up with. But the large high school I attended ended up being good for me also. The sports teams were more competitive which pushed me to work harder at what I was doing. And to some degree, I had some catch up to do in my schoolwork also. It all turned out to be a good experience for me also.

But, my earlier years in the mountains influenced me as an adult more than anything else. I still love mountain, fishing, hiking, and wildlife. And appreciate the simple things in life more than many I know around me...

"It's been a good life after all"!
 
Remy said:
I'm the one you don't want to get started. I'm from Santa Cruz, California. Give me that cold damp fog bank any day. I'm also rather liberal but didn't have the look to fit into Santa Cruz. And forget what went on in the walls of those houses. Now I'm in the valley.
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I miss Santa Cruz. Summer vacations were spent there. I know of the cold damp fog bank you speak of. Had to wait for it to burn off so we could go down to the beach.
My brother still visits. He has friends up that way.

And, my cousin and her common law husband just came back from staying at the Dream Inn for a couple of days.
 
chic said:
I grew up in the most visually beautiful place I've ever seen. I'm also from a Liberal area with colleges and universities around every block and don't really understand what all the fuss is about with many things I see around me in the world on a broader level. There are lots of gloriously picturesque woods, streams, ponds and hiking areas which add to the beauty of the place. It's the kind of place that is just so pretty you never want to leave. Yes, it influenced me deeply.View attachment 249299View attachment 249300View attachment 249301View attachment 249302View attachment 249303
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Those are beautiful pictures. Thanks for sharing.
 
Absolutely. Growing up on a farm from when I was 9, having daily chores, going to church and Sunday School and having loving parents, who were actually my grandparents, but cared for me as well as any of my friend’s parents cared and loved them, made me the person I am. After my parents were killed, it was being considered to put me into an orphanage or foster care. My Gramps put that talk to an end very quickly.
 

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