On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
My earlier post on Tom Wolfe and the upcoming release of his new novel put me in mind of one of Mr. Wolfe’s observations on America and its media elites. Ed Driscoll quotes Mr. Wolfe from an interview with the Wall Street Journal:
And so many of [the media elites] are so caught up in this kind of metropolitan intellectual atmosphere that they simply don't go across the Hudson River. They literally do not set foot in the United States. We live in New York in one of the two parenthesis states. They're usually called blue states--they're not blue states, the states on the coast. They're parenthesis states--the entire country lies in between.
Mr. Wolfe makes the same observation in the C-SPAN interview I linked to earlier. I mention this because the Dunphy family’s summer travels included a trip to Missouri, specifically the St. Louis area, where the Divine Mrs. Dunphy has family ties. I was born and raised in Los Angeles, but I thank God for giving me the good sense to marry a woman from the Midwest.
I preface the following by saying that one can find nice people everywhere and rotten people everywhere, and as one travels the country it is only the proportions that change from place to place. That said, my recent travels have only reinforced my impression that the most favorable ratio is to be found in the Midwest (and the South, but we’ll leave that for another time).
While attending a Cardinals’ game at Busch Stadium (a magnificent ballpark), I was struck by how polite and orderly the crowd was. The game was a sellout, with more than 45,000 in attendance. When the game started in the early evening it was close to 100 degrees, and it hadn’t cooled off much by the time the last out was recorded. As a police officer of long experience, I can say that here in Los Angeles the combination of a big crowd and high temperatures often leads to trouble. I saw not a hint of it at Busch Stadium that evening.
Our seats for the game were on the upper level, and as we approached the escalator I was amazed at the way people queued up for the ride upstairs. At Dodger Stadium, there would have been a mass of people squeezing and jostling and elbowing others aside, but the St. Louis folks just formed a line, two by two, and patiently waited their turn. It looked as though no one even considered barging the queue. (I’ve noticed the same behavior at Wrigley Field in Chicago, home to some of the nicest people--and worst politicians--to be found anywhere in the country.)
I put the question to the Ricochetti: What is it about the Midwest that produces such kind and well-mannered people? Is there something in the water supply than can be piped out to California?
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Aug '10
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
There's evidently still a common culture in St Louis. Maybe it's a good thing the "fly-overers" haven't taken notice and haven't assaulted it.
May '10
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
Escalators, eh? That reminds me of my first experience at a train station when I was about 18 (<—Texan/Southerner). I was with my grandma, a tiny and genteel lady. When the train arrived, people were pushing to get on. It was rude enough that they pushed me. But pushing an old lady? I was shocked. I would rather miss the train that shove someone to get aboard.
What's the difference between the parenthesis and flyover country? Population density. That's how you get Chicago in a Midwestern state.
Personal interaction is taxing. The higher the population density, the fewer breaks one gets. And big city life is full of noise. People are overwhelmed by entertainment, by advertisements, by news and politics, etc. City life is busier. Humility and kindness are encouraged by peaceful reflection. A person constantly at work or play and bombarded by a thousand things competing for his or her attention is unlikely to deeply consider much of anything.
Maybe.
By the way, when Jesus speaks of peace, that's usually the sort of peace He is referring to — the personal kind, rather than the political kind. Context matters.
May '11
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
I've never met someone from the midwest but that they were sensible, kind, generous, and 'regular'...as in normal. Another great origin of the best people is the state of Montana. Some of the sweetest, most down-to-earth ever. I'm a native Oregonian and we tend to be more standoffish, independent, and sadly---with some notable exceptions, including yours truly-- are in the main, liberal to a fault. And it's a big fault that has left Oregon rivaling California for foolishness and leftist elitism. Gone are the days of my childhood when the great governor Tom McCall had Oregon State erect signs at the California border commanding, "Don't Californicate Oregon". Alas, the Californication escalated to the point that many of my best friends here in Oregon now are Californians--which fact leaves me severely conflicted, and having to constantly moderate my opinions of what are the appropriate origins for my nearest and dearest....But so also are we overrun with those Californians who brought their leftist ways to Oregon and made it not even a shadow of the state I grew up in.
May '10
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
That's another aspect. Big cities attract outsiders. Eventually, they end up with people from all sorts of cultural backgrounds and all kinds of ideas. That leads to more conflict. That, too, is taxing.
When faced with a choice between the headache of constantly engaging contrary ideas/actions or becoming apathetic, more people will choose apathy. In the modern world, it's known as multiculturalism. It's easier than discerning truth and standing up for it.
Edited on August 13, 2012 at 7:26amJun '12
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
Midwesterners readily see themselves as beholden to elements they cannot hope to control, leading to a laconic realism about their place in the cosmos. Life here calls for a weather eye, a careful confidence, and a thoughtful posture. Nothing quite like watching a towering black thunderhead roiling across the plain to inspire a natural humility and genuine regard for order.
Nov '11
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
Aaron Miller
Big cities attract outsiders. Eventually, they end up with people from all sorts of cultural backgrounds and all kinds of ideas. That leads to more conflict. That, too, is taxing.
When faced with a choice between the headache of constantly engaging contrary ideas/actions or becoming apathetic, more people will choose apathy. In the modern world, it's known as multiculturalism. It's easier than discerning truth and standing up for it. · 1 hour ago
E pluribus unum: One from many. However, most of the time it is simply Many from many.
Mar '11
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
Stop it! Stop it now!
We're mean and nasty and we'll thump Bibles at you when we aren't bitterly clinging to them and to our guns. Oh, ever so many guns! We're judgmental and narrow-minded and intolerant and barely educated and....
(Flownover, C.J., somebody help me out here. We can't possibly acculturate all the immigrants we're gonna get if we let this stand...)
Jan '12
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
As someone who resides in a small town in Ohio, I would have to say that religion plays a part in developing that kind, friendly spirit you speak of. Many churches here organize community service events and from a young age children are taught to serve their neighbors. Teenagers will often volunteer in the spring and fall to assist the elderly with yardwork and general cleanup. Of course, it is no utopia but from what I see, parents still work quite hard to teach their kids kindness and to respect those around them. It would seem that the so-called intellectual elite often view this bucolic life with contempt. All I can say is I still sleep with the doors unlocked and windows open in the Summer. I see the goodness in my neighbors and the youth around me. This has given me reason to maintain my hope in the resilience of the American people/spirit despite the negativity of the press.
Sep '10
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
I moved to Michigan from the Northeast and I noticed the difference right away. People are nice here. College students speak respectfully to professors. Even the Motor Vehicle agency (called the "Secretary of State's Office") is efficient and helpful.
I don't know what causes this, but West Michigan is far more civilized than the Northeast. And in the Northeast there are differences, too--New York City used to be a terrible place, but after Giuliani took over, the city became much more polite. Philadelphia is a disaster area in comparison.
Edited on August 13, 2012 at 2:25pmMar '11
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
I grew up just south of St. Louis and can tell you the difference between the people there and those in Riverside, CA, where I live now: In the Midwest, people read their Bibles and become better parents as a result. Better parents: better kids. And on it goes.
Edited on August 13, 2012 at 2:45pmAug '10
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
To quote Dr. Crosby :" I resemble that remark !"
Sorry Jack, but our water is being diverted to save the Tennessee snail darter .
A tiny , inedible fish .
Sound familar ?
Edited on August 13, 2012 at 10:26pmMar '11
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
Every word is true, and to that I'll add that a greater proportion of Midwesterners' livelihood depends on how they respond to such conditions. This year's drought is a case study; while coverage from the MSM focuses on the prices people will pay at the grocery store, farmers here in the Midwest are already adjusting budgets and projections for next year, knowing that this year's results are baked in the cake.We know that past success is no guarantee of future performance.
The phlegmatic acceptance of over 100 years of Cubs futility wouldn't stand muster in the fever swamps of New York, but even those of us who like real baseball (go Cardinals), accept the Cubs' fate and even admire them for their stoic and celebrated acceptance of pure mediocrity.
Jan '11
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
Before I moved to Kansas I lived in Alexandria, VA, a suburb of Washington, DC. I had an opportunity to spend a long weekend in Boise, ID where I enjoyed basketball, the sites of nicely tended gardens and skiing in the nearby mountains.
Upon my return to the Baltimore/Washington airport I was struck by the contrast in behavoir between the two jurisdictions. From "may I help you" to "wa da yu want!!!"
I moved 5 years ago and have not looked back.
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
I have never lived in the midwest -- although I'm the world's biggest Cardinals fan, so I loved that anecdote -- but my family is from Missouri and I'm Lutheran.
I can't help but think that religion plays a role. There is something about religious piety -- particularly one that is heavily influenced by Lutheranism -- that results in people having a very strong sense of place and service. We talk about vocation -- the idea that we serve God by serving our fellow man in whatever place we're in. We can serve God by being very good bakers or simply good baseball fans. My experience on the East Coast is that people are driven less by vocation and more by the desire for power or money. Exceptions to this, of course.
May '10
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
All the comments about religion are true. We love God first. I am a proud midwesterner (mostly St. Louis...where baseball IS a religion, and last year's playoffs were divine intervention) and we insist on politeness, respect, and kindness.
We demand it in the schools, and expect it in our families. We see the TV shows, movies, and newscasts as thinly veiled disgust aimed at us. We feel the "parenthesis states" are simply wanting us to go into the military when buildings are being knocked down (but otherwise expecting us to just shut up and pay our taxes) and we realize that we are an object of ridicule in the culture.
Romney & Ryan are our gift to the nation...and our answer to the disdainful Obama worshippers. But, as our parents would be saying to us, "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." We will say a mouthful at the ballot box this fall.
PS...Wisconsin and Michigan go RED in November.
May '12
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
Aaron - While your point is valid there is also a cultural component to consider. Houston is a huge, highly diverse city and yet it is very friendly. We've been accepting hordes of immigrants since the 1970s (just look at the population growth) and while it's changed from a close approximation of the movie "Urban Cowboy" to a cosmopolitan economic powerhouse the basic decency of people remains.
Aug '11
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
Religion may play a role, but it's probably just one of many threads in the fabric. Smaller towns mean that people know each other, help each other, assistance is more likely to be based in churches and local organizations than some state or federal government program.
The general view where I grew up (pop: 500) was that the only time the government bothered to notice we existed was when they wanted our tax money. Otherwise, they pretty much left us to fend for ourselves, took our money, and redistributed it to urban centers.
So left to our own devices, we developed our own support systems: family, friends, neighbors, local community organizations. This strengthens the community in ways that "community organizers" simply cannot conceive.
Mar '11
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
world's biggest, Mollie? not so fast -- you may not even be the biggest Redbirds fan on Ricochet! :)
seriously though -- one thing I have noticed -- having been raised in the DC area but spending my entire adult life in the midwest -- is that courtesy and kindness are infectious. perhaps religion does have something to do with it but just as important are the standards of behavior that you see around you. I don't know how to be more precise or scientific about it -- but it could be that this is just stuff that sticks to you as you are exposed to it.
Apr '12
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
In rural central Michigan where my extended family lives, a lot of people leave their doors unlocked during the day when they're not home.
It's not unusual for me to hear something along these lines when I'm visiting:
"I brought by that chicken salad for the baby shower tomorrow but you weren't home so I put it in your fridge. I see Aunt May brought that awful Jell-O salad with the radishes and olives again..."
In a community where people recognize each other's Jell-O salads, even young children know that if they step outside certain accepted boundaries of behavior, they'll be recognized and held accountable for their actions.
To re-phrase Heinlein, a society with a low level of anonymity is a polite society. Very polite.
May '10
Re: On the Pleasures of Fly-Over Country
Republic of Texas
Aaron - While your point is valid there is also a cultural component to consider. Houston is a huge, highly diverse city and yet it is very friendly. ....
Note that I cited population density rather than mere population size. Houston is different from major cities in the Northeast in that most of the people who work in the city live on the edge of or beyond the city limits. From where I lived in Spring, it was almost a full hour's drive to the University of Houston in the city. Conroe is a half-hour or more north of Spring, yet it's full of people who work in Houston.
But it certainly helps that so many Houstonians associate themselves with cowboys and country values.