Sometimes, in my Internet wanderings, I come across stuff that I don’t expect to find, given the site I’m on. This was one of them:
“How many years do you need to live somewhere before you are considered a local?”
This is an interesting question and one that is often considered here in NH. It is clear that in some parts, the term “Local” is a very valuable attribute. People know if you are a “local” or not, and it is often a standard of “Can I trust this person in stuff that happens around here”? Do they know the culture, do they know the people, and do they know the norms of what is valued or looked down upon by the folks in that area?
Or are you someone that “isn’t from around heah”? That dreaded “Flatlander” – often thrown in the direction of people from Massachusetts and New York (among others) with derision? Not all, of course – the good ones respect our culture and try to fit in. They may not be locals but certainly can be considered “good folks.”
Anyways, what’s a Local? from the same place the question came from (see the link below):
Among the many interesting answers on the thread, one person from Vermont replied:
“In New England, the rule is simple. You are considered a local as soon as you have three grandparents who were born in the town where you live. Thanks for asking.”
Being here for 43 years doesn’t make me a Local, nor TMEW, the Eldest, or the Youngest.
I can, however, take some pride (earned, of course) in having absorbed “Live Free or Die” into my core values. I can say, “Yes, I decided to live by that and have become assimilated.” I can work with that!
Marxists, Commies, Socialists, and most Democrats DO have problems with that…go figure.
