Where did you grow up and how has it affected you in life?

Gaer said:
Miles City, Montana. A real old cow town!
I'd say it gave me perspective on what is important and what isn't.
They were just surviving, scratchin out a living, blue collar style.
Wasn't much "play". Men were real men and women respected them
(deserved or not). Women were strong and took care of what needed
to be done. I slept in an Indian camp once and it bridged the 60's with
how people lived on the prairie a century ago.
Moving to California, I was in a a culture of fear, ignorance, and silliness.
"Yeah! Surf City baby!", but I've seen both sides of life.
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Fascinating, Gaer! Could you expand a bit on Californian culture of "fear, ignorance, and silliness?" I know nothing about California except that it is mostly sunshine and the authorities are strangely lax in certain cities. I am always greatly interested in how others live!
 

Timewise 60+ said:
I grew up in a small mountain town in Colorado. The population back then was around 3,000 which included around 1,500 college students going to a small university in our town. The university added a lot to our community especially for the kids growing up in that town. We had access to an Olympic sized indoor pool, gymnasium, music concerts, plays, student union (w/ bowling, ping pong, pool and snooker), etc, etc. The university was primarily a teacher college; therefore, we had one or two extra teachers and/or coaches in school (College students getting some experience in the classroom) So the University added a lot to the town.

We also had three ski areas within 30-45 minuets. Ice skating and all the fishing and hunting we could stand in walking distanced from town.

I lived there from kindergarten through 8th grade. It was a wonderful place to grow up and much of what I learned living in that town carried through the rest of my life. I still hunt and fish as do all my kids. I still ski and have an interest in many sports as a coach and participant in some. My wife and I scuba dive and love going to concerts and plays. I did go to college in a small town at a smaller school.

So yep, my small town set the tone for much of my adult life.
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Sounds like paradise @Timewise 60+
 
I grew up in a small town (3000 inhabitants) in the central Black Forest of Germany! The scenery is breathtaking and incredibly romantic. The ruin of a castle dominates the town!
I won't pretend I grew up in paradise because my story would be filled with hunger (1940 - 1947) and fear verging on terror on most days (1944-1945)! There were happy days for us youngsters as well but they were few and far between, especially toward the end of the war!

Later addition! I forgot that the subject also was "how did it effect you!"

1) I hate all the confrontational challenges (saber rattling) to other countries to prove who's the mightiest!

2) There have been a few justified wars, like WWII, but I still think the Iraq war was a crime and the instigators should have been prosecuted as such!

3) I dislike folks who thrive on conflict and nasty confrontation!

4) I like gentle and peaceful folk!

5) Why can't we all get along? (Wishful thinking)
 

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hollydolly said:
I grew up on the West coast of Scotland in the city.... I grew up with the same attitude and values as most people who are born and raised in the city.. 'nuff said.... since I was 19 I've lived mostly in the countryside.. ( aside from a few periods abroad)... and the quieter pace of life, rubbed a lot of the rough edges of my character ..smooth.. .but I'm still very feisty when provoked..
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Hey, hollydolly, you never told me that you were Scottish! Did you read my thread that I loved Scotland and anything Celtic! :)
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I grew up in a small Massachusetts town. 90% of the town was made up of "Canuks" from Montreal and Quebec. Most people of my parent's age also could speak French. We had two political parties- Democrats and Independent Democrats. So, of course, I'm a progressive Democrat. My brother is a Republican, but he was dropped on his head as a baby (true).
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Same here, small Massachusetts town. My father's side came from Prince Edward Isle and nearby areas in Canada.
Grew up democrat then met and married a Virginian and spent 21 yrs in the military. That swung me more right I suppose.
My New England roots kept me private, prudish, tidy, and frugal. Drives the Virginian nuts except for the frugality. His family was like the Waltons.
 
hollydolly said:
lol... Everyone whose been here for any length of time knows I'm a wee Celtic lassie ...:ROFLMAO:..not I didn't see your thread..
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Here is my post from a thread about something about my DNA:

"Why am I so drawn to a place I have never been to? By DNA I am 100% German, yet I love everything Celtic. My favourite country is Scotland! By book and film! Okay, Canada as well, but I did live in New Scotland (Nova Scotia) for most of my life. :)

My favourite music is anything that is Celtic! Bagpipes are a horror to many, to me they produce sweet music! The only explanation I have is that the original Celts lived to the east of the Allemannen (my ancestral tribe) and that, when passing through to the West, they left some offspring behind! It's either that or reincarnation!

Sorry Ireland, I love you, too, and really appreciate your music!"
 
Hong Kong in the 1960's.
Fourteen different nationalities in my school, certainly a few more that I don't recall or maybe weren't in my own classes.
I knew from experience that we had more in common with one another than we had differences.
Those differences in culture or customs were superficial in comparison to our basic humanity.
We coexisted with far more amiability than friction and those disputes that did (of course) arise were personal and not the result of any hostility between nationalities, race or religions.
Actually, for those of us (and that was most of us) who like me, were born and raised over there, we thought of our cultural identity as Hong Kongers rather than whatever our passports said we were.

And most of us found it a bit tricky to transition and mesh with those home countries that our passports said we belonged to.
 
Old Salt said:
Fascinating, Gaer! Could you expand a bit on Californian culture of "fear, ignorance, and silliness?" I know nothing about California except that it is mostly sunshine and the authorities are strangely lax in certain cities. I am always greatly interested in how others live!
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Well, After my first marriage, I was dating again. Moved to a 100 year old mountain cabin. The guys I was dating were TERRIFIED
of moving out of San Diego and COULDN'T BELIEVE I drove to Baja, Mexico and Fairbanks, Alaska! This told me a lot about them.
I would ask them to please light the fire in the fireplace while I cooked dinner, (up in the mountains) and THEY DIDN'T KNOW HOW!
All the guys my age seemed to have a "beachboy" mentality. "Duh! Hey Dude! What's up?"
Had to travel to Alaska to find a real man! and I did! But he has passed away now.
California is horrible now, I understand! People are flocking to get out of there!

Sure agree with you on Celtic music! Especially "Danny Boy" and " Scottish, "Auld Lang Syne"! My favorites!
But then, I'm 1/2 Irish, Welsh!
 
Old Salt said:
Here is my post from a thread about something about my DNA:

"Why am I so drawn to a place I have never been to? By DNA I am 100% German, yet I love everything Celtic. My favourite country is Scotland! By book and film! Okay, Canada as well, but I did live in New Scotland (Nova Scotia) for most of my life. :)

My favourite music is anything that is Celtic! Bagpipes are a horror to many, to me they produce sweet music! The only explanation I have is that the original Celts lived to the east of the Allemannen (my ancestral tribe) and that, when passing through to the West, they left some offspring behind! It's either that or reincarnation!

Sorry Ireland, I love you, too, and really appreciate your music!"
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LOL..it's a good thing you like Ireland too because I'm from irish Ancestors.. my granparents , and greats.. etc.. all were Irish, they came to Scotland during the Great Potato famine, had farms in the Highlands, then had their farms stolen from them in the Highland clearances, and were forced to live in the slum of the cities as they were then...

Of course as a Scot born and raised.. and true celt.. I love all Scottish and Irish music.. except the Bagpipes.. oh lord save me from that horrific wailing.. :ROFLMAO::eek:
 
Georgiagranny said:
So far north in the upper peninsula of Michigan that we called it South Canada. It made me appreciate how lucky I am to not live in such a brutal climate. Yes, brutal.
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Brutal? I think it's the best climate anywhere! Hardly any of those sweltering days where the clothes stick to your skin. None of that eternal sunshine, instead you get to see the wonder of seeing four different kinds of weather in one day! In my area, we might get the odd hurricane but no tornadoes or earthquakes. And don't get me to talk about how much I love snow! ;)
 
Gaer said:
Well, After my first marriage, I was dating again. Moved to a 100 year old mountain cabin. The guys I was dating were TERRIFIED
of moving out of San Diego and COULDN'T BELIEVE I drove to Baja, Mexico and Fairbanks, Alaska! This told me a lot about them.
I would ask them to please light the fire in the fireplace while I cooked dinner, (up in the mountains) and THEY DIDN'T KNOW HOW!
All the guys my age seemed to have a "beachboy" mentality. "Duh! Hey Dude! What's up?"
Had to travel to Alaska to find a real man! and I did! But he has passed away now.
California is horrible now, I understand! People are flocking to get out of there!

Sure agree with you on Celtic music! Especially "Danny Boy" and " Scottish, "Auld Lang Syne"! My favorites!
But then, I'm 1/2 Irish, Welsh!
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Whimps! LOL I am not the handiest person going but I think I could manage to start a fire or even cook a meal for you! As to travelling, I packed up at twenty and left for Canada! I had what Germans call "Wanderlust!" So, shame on you, Californian young males. I added the young in case we have senior Californians with us. They will, of course, be different! (y);)

I was tempted to list "Auld Lang Syne" as the first tune on my new thread but then changed my mind because it is associated so much with the New Year!
 
Old Salt said:
Brutal? I think it's the best climate anywhere! Hardly any of those sweltering days where the clothes stick to your skin. None of that eternal sunshine, instead you get to see the wonder of seeing four different kinds of weather in one day! In my area, we might get the odd hurricane but no tornadoes or earthquakes. And don't get me to talk about how much I love snow! ;)
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You go ahead without me...
 
hollydolly said:
LOL..it's a good thing you like Ireland too because I'm from irish Ancestors.. my granparents , and greats.. etc.. all were Irish, they came to Scotland during the Great Potato famine, had farms in the Highlands, then had their farms stolen from them in the Highland clearances, and were forced to live in the slum of the cities as they were then...

Of course as a Scot born and raised.. and true celt.. I love all Scottish and Irish music.. except the Bagpipes.. oh lord save me from that horrific wailing.. :ROFLMAO::eek:
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Phew, I am so glad I added Ireland because half of the posts (and three quarters of my YouTube favourites) were actually sung by a Dublin College Choir! And shame on you for rejecting those wonderful, wailing bag pipes!
 
Guess I am the odd one out, being born on the South Coast of England just before the start of WW2, so that makes me old. When war broke out, my father was stationed in South Africa listening in on German Radio transmissions. My Mother and I joined him, going by ship, which had to zig-zag all the way to avoid German U-Boats. When united, we moved to Mauritius, where my Father did the same until he had to return to England and was seconded onto HMS Egret to listen in on German E-Boats leaving Spain to attack the Atlantic Convoys. Alas, that lasted for three days before he was killed by a new German radio-controlled bomb which sank his ship, the only ship the Germans ever sank with it.
After that, it was dismal living in a basement in a south coast town, bleak, cold, hard up, food rationing and bombs dropping, but hell I enjoyed it. Oh, and a lot of Canadian troops chatting up our women including Mother who was still early 20's, are you still out there Rex?
 
Avon said:
Guess I am the odd one out, being born on the South Coast of England just before the start of WW2, so that makes me old. When war broke out, my father was stationed in South Africa listening in on German Radio transmissions. My Mother and I joined him, going by ship, which had to zig-zag all the way to avoid German U-Boats. When united, we moved to Mauritius, where my Father did the same until he had to return to England and was seconded onto HMS Egret to listen in on German E-Boats leaving Spain to attack the Atlantic Convoys. Alas, that lasted for three days before he was killed by a new German radio-controlled bomb which sank his ship, the only ship the Germans ever sank with it.
After that, it was dismal living in a basement in a south coast town, bleak, cold, hard up, food rationing and bombs dropping, but hell I enjoyed it. Oh, and a lot of Canadian troops chatting up our women including Mother who was still early 20's, are you still out there Rex?
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Welcome, fellow Old Timer! I guess we're about the same age but, as children, were on opposing sides! The story of your father's premature death, mirrors mine. One thing I disagree with is enjoying the war. I did for a while before the bombings were becoming a common occurrence! Your story would make a fascinating book!
 
Not so much enjoying the war but dropping bombs never worried me Old Salt. I meant to write about the poverty and the gutters and bomb damage being our playground. We in the UK did not have toys and such like as they did in the USA, we made our own fun and were never bored. The Canadian troops would give me sweets and some planes they used for recognition purposes. One even bought me a big tank, which cost him 10/-, that was a lot of money. Then I was always loveable. Could list the games we played in the streets as there were no cars, well one in a long street. Now a person needs a permit to park in it, if they can get one. Modern life, pc's, rubbish on TV, people can keep it, I am now a county lover. Oh, I did listen to Dick Barton on the wireless.
 
Avon said:
Guess I am the odd one out, being born on the South Coast of England just before the start of WW2, so that makes me old. When war broke out, my father was stationed in South Africa listening in on German Radio transmissions. My Mother and I joined him, going by ship, which had to zig-zag all the way to avoid German U-Boats. When united, we moved to Mauritius, where my Father did the same until he had to return to England and was seconded onto HMS Egret to listen in on German E-Boats leaving Spain to attack the Atlantic Convoys. Alas, that lasted for three days before he was killed by a new German radio-controlled bomb which sank his ship, the only ship the Germans ever sank with it.
After that, it was dismal living in a basement in a south coast town, bleak, cold, hard up, food rationing and bombs dropping, but hell I enjoyed it. Oh, and a lot of Canadian troops chatting up our women including Mother who was still early 20's, are you still out there Rex?
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you're probably just a little bit younger than a few members here.. and my late mother who was 5 when war began . Funnily enough you talking about Canadians , here during WW2... I'm reading the WW2 Observation Diaries, and the Canadian troops as well as the Americans are talked about in the book by the women.. not glowing reports tbh..
 
hollydolly said:
you're probably just a little bit younger than a few members here.. and my late mother who was 5 when war began . Funnily enough you talking about Canadians , here during WW2... I'm reading the WW2 Observation Diaries, and the Canadian troops as well as the Americans are talked about in the book by the women.. not glowing reports tbh..
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Re. not glowing reports. Probably exceptions again since many Canadian servicemen came home with British wives!
 
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