Every area has its own unique culture.
Cultures can vary dramatically from town to town and county to county. You would be wise to figure it out when you relocate. Although it takes some time, it’s well worth it! Think of it like an investment. I have learned that you can save time and money by simply observing how the culture around you operates. Once you figure out how it operates, you can then acclimate and adjust to it where possible in order to make the most of it. After all, you now live in it! Here are some ways to learn your new culture.
Listen more than you talk.
The absence of talking isn’t listening, but it is a start! I heard a preacher once say that “There is a reason that God gave you two ears and one mouth. He intends that we should listen at least twice as much as we talk!” That’s really good advice. It is especially good advice for learning your new culture.
Spend quiet time in the local restaurant.
It’s amazing what you can learn in a restaurant when you put your cell phone away and just listen! Especially by talking to the waiter or waitress. These folks are a wealth of knowledge because they hear the “local chatter” daily. Oh yeah, when you leave that small town restaurant, leave them a good tip.
Read the local newspaper.
This should go without saying, but a newspaper is a good source for local information. Sometimes you get biased information but you still get an idea of what’s going on. The Editorial Section is a good place to read about the local fussing and fuming. Consider a subscription to the local newspaper once you relocate.
Go to the local school ball games.
Be it football, basketball, baseball or whatever. These are good places to learn the culture. It’s like going to the local restaurant. Just watch the game and listen. It’s a good place to people watch too! “Did you see what she was wearing!” Some good laughs are had at a game!
Go to the local country store or corner store.
This is my favorite! One reason is my local store sells cold Coca-Cola in the glass bottle! Nothing like a cold Coke with salted Lance peanuts poured inside while listening to the locals chew the fat. That’s good stuff! The folks working there are a wealth of knowledge. They are “seasoned” locals who can inform you on nearly anything.
National Night Out
“National Night Out” is an annual community building event where Law Enforcement makes itself available to the public in a family type atmosphere. They generally have free food, bouncy houses for the kids, music and police cars on display. Sometimes they display the skills of the drug dog.
The “Ride Along” Program
Talk to the local Sheriff’s Deputies or do a “ride along” with them. Deputies see it all! They too are a wealth of information. Most Sheriff’s Departments offer a ride along program. This program allows the public to ride with a deputy for a day or night in order to see what it’s like in their shoes. You can learn a lot about your local culture during this ride along.
Discern the “Sacred Cows!”
I thought that was only in the Bible in the Old Testament? Naw! Country people have ’em too! They aren’t gold and shiny but are just as sacred. Perhaps their sacred cow is an industry or an employer. It’s that thing that should never be talked about in a critical and constructive way. Maybe, the largest employer in the town or county. Perhaps the industry that puts food on many families tables. That employer or industry that has some obvious flaws but the money it provides for the area is more important than addressing the elephant in the room.
Our state offers drastically discounted well water testing through a state university that goes across the state county by county. We decided to utilize this program as it saves us over $200 compared to using an independent water testing company. There is a meeting held in order to distribute the results of the tests. The overall findings of these tests are discussed openly in the meeting by a county employee. Solutions to any problems are discussed as well. I learned that around 50% of the tests revealed bacteria present in the drinking water. The reason is the large amount of cattle being raised by farmers. No one said anything. After all, it’s only drinking water contaminated by fecal matter!
The old saying is that “waste runs down hill”… or something like that.
In the mountains, that waste really runs down hill! Generally, some type of body of water lies at the bottom of that same hill. It’s obvious waste is going to make it into some type of water body. However, nothing was said. Nothing! Why? Cattle and livestock are the “Sacred Cow” around here with many people. It’s that way because either you raise cattle or you know someone who does. Perhaps your business or employer benefits financially from cattle. After all, we can’t bite the hand that feeds me, my friend or family member.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not bad mouthing cattle farmers. I like rib-eye steaks as much as anybody. Especially when my wife cooks them in her cast iron skillet! I am just simply stating that you should quickly figure out the sacred cows and pick your battles wisely when it comes to those cows! After all, my well water had no bacteria contamination!
Attend a local church
I know, it is difficult to find a church that meets your requirements. Yes, sometimes church people can have their own set of problems. That can be said about any group of people though. However, church is a good place to learn about the local culture.
Local Entertainment
Local entertainment is my favorite place to learn the culture. Locally, we have Mud Bogs (4×4 trucks racing one by one through a giant mud hole), Lawnmower Races, Demolition Derby, the annual Privy Race (That’s an outhouse race for you city folks. Yeap, they race ’em down Main St.), parades, festivals, bluegrass shows, etc. These are all great places to learn local culture. These entertainment venues give you an important view into local life. Simply show up and watch the entertainment…. and the people. Watch how they interact. Watch how they behave.
Operation Iraqi Freedom
American soldiers that man the rear gun of Chinook helicopters usually hang their feet out of the back of the helicopter, or so I’ve read. Well, during the 2003 Iraq Invasion (dubbed Operation Iraqi Freedom) this was a problem. You see, this little unknown gesture was a sign of disrespect to millions of Iraqis they were trying to liberate from the Saddam Hussein regime. Who would have thought looking up at a soldier’s boot hanging out of the back of a helicopter hundreds or thousands of feet in the air was an insult?
Apparently, it is an insult in Arabic culture to show the sole of foot wear! Getting hit with that sole is even worse! Remember George W. Bush dodging being hit with a shoe at a Bagdad press conference in 2008? Imagine, scores of helicopters flying over the towns and cities of Iraq fighting for their freedom all the while basically “flipping them off” by hanging their feet out of the helicopter! You would have thought with all the political elite in Washington D.C. and all the Military brass that run our military that someone would have studied the culture they were about to invade! Never underestimate the value of understanding a culture that you are about to move in to. Your new neighbors really don’t care how you “did it back home!”
Look from their side of the fence
It’s advisable to keep quiet for a good while after you relocate. I mean that it’s wise keep a low profile. Don’t run for any type of public position like the school board, PTO, town council, etc. Refrain from sending a “Letter to the Editor” at the local newspaper. Generally speaking, there is a reason they are doing things the way they do. You may not agree with the reason but you don’t have to. Try to figure out the benefits of doing it their way. After all, having a volunteer fire department means an annual BBQ chicken fundraiser and lower taxes!
Taxes are pretty important to country people
That is, most believe they already pay too much. Jobs in rural areas usually don’t pay what they would in a larger city. Lower taxes help to offset the lower pay. Many folks struggle to pay their annual property taxes. An absence of many of the comforts and conveniences the city has to offer help to keep the taxes in check.
I have learned that “expensive” is a relative term. It means different things to different people. I had customers that were paying $15,000 a year property taxes in New York and were glad to pay $2,000 a year in the South. This outspoken glee of “low taxes” causes resentment with the locals who already think the taxes are too high. You may think it, but you don’t have to voice it and would prefer you not vote it!
The mistake of Americanization
Many Christian missionaries make the tragic mistake of moving to another country and try to live like Americans. They want to “Americanize” everything… church buildings, church services, cars, attire and homes. I have seen missionaries that live in very poor countries where the general population live in shacks and they live in walled compounds. Occasionally, they live in these walled compounds for security reasons or in a big house because they have a large family. They stand out like a sore thumb and at times become a magnet for criminals. After all, “Americans are rich!” The end result is resentment from the locals, robbery, physical attacks or just plain old ineffectiveness.
When in Rome…or in the country
You’ve heard the old saying that “When in Rome, do as the Romans do!” Uh, not really. In my “Rome,” many of the men either dip snuff, chew tobacco, smoke cigarettes or wish their wife would let them. I have no intentions of doing any of that! Many tend to drink a ton of soft drinks. I will limit mine to a couple a week. Many of the hunters think that yellow “POSTED” signs means that property is a good place to hunt! I will keep on property that I have permission to be on.
Don’t compromise your principles
The challenge when you relocate is to not live a lie, but to live without offending locals or trying to change the culture that you now live in. I’m not going to eat squirrel brains, drink moonshine or grow a beard as some around here do! I did, however, put a “Don’t Tread On Me” state license plate, a grill guard and mud tires on my truck. All three improve the way it looks! I’ll go to the occasional blue grass show and burn firewood for heat. I just won’t wear my bib overalls to church like some do. Those are reserved for Wal-Mart on Friday nights!
What’s your relocation experience? Was it a smooth transition or a culture shock? Leave your comment below!
Ambitious Feller
“If the women don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy!” Red Green
