As my daughter has been attending school in California we have been making numerous trips to visit over the past 4 years. I hear so many people say, “what a wonderful place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to live there.” Living most my life in the midwest I find that is where I am best suited to live. Maybe it’s the whole midwestern values thing, but unsure how much that really holds true. I am sure it is just a familiarity with the pace, style and attitudes. It could also be a defensive mechanism that midwesterners generally think coastal people are elitists who believe there is nothing in fly over country.
I do find California unique. The coastal beauty, hiking in the interior, visiting wine country or the State and National Parks have been amazing. Add in the tech, entertainment, agriculture, and other industries it is simply an impressive place. But then there are the people. Terms like entitled and the nanny state do seem to have some resonance, but I have not been there long enough to judge, and who am I to judge.
The oddity for me is the striking display in full view of the haves and have nots. To so clearly see the wealth and income inequality gap to me is painful. And then the more I think about it I get the vibe that not all the haves likely have what they are appearing to have. And then I also get the sense that the have nots seem to feel entitled to have some of what the haves have as California’s greatness provided them what they have. I would not argue with that, but something also seems fundamentally wrong with it also. This also raises the odd perspective that the have not’s want some of what the haves have, but many of the haves may not have what they appear to have. A little messed up from my perspective.
With my daughter moving back to Minneapolis, I will be visiting California much less. However, any chance I get to visit I will take it, but no plans to move there.
