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Saturday, July 04, 2009

East Coast v. West Coast, In A Nutshell

When I have moved up, down and finally away from the east coast, my friends understood the time crunch that comes with moving. If the only way we got to see each other before I left was for them to come over and talk to me while watching me pack boxes, guess what? They came over and talked to me while watching me pack boxes. Usually they brought coffee because they are my friends and I am me. Helping wasn't the point, wasn't requested, wasn't expected (was sometimes given, though, but sometimes not). The point was having some last moments together to talk and laugh and experience one more story together.

When my friends moved, across town or across the country, I went and talked while watching them pack. Sometimes I helped; sometimes I didn't. That wasn't the point.

The few people who call us their friends out here have been told we want to see them, we want some time with them before we leave, we just have one week to get everything packed. We have invited them over, not to help, but to have some more time together before we leave the area.

Every Single One Of Them has said thanks but no thanks. One woman even said "Yeah, right, sure. I'm really gonna do that. But you call if you've got a free night to come over to our house."

Which is, in a nutshell, why I don't mind leaving the Pacific Northwest. At all.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and buck fifty will get you coffee.

12 comments:

Graziella said...

Yeah, a culture I'm not sure I'll ever get used to.

Krystal said...

Our "friends" have never lifted a finger to help us pack and move either. But then again, you know just how supportive they are anyway...

CrackerLilo said...

Oh, that sucks. Guess you won't exactly be crying buckets over them when you leave, huh? People say New Yorkers are rude, but I find they're far nicer than that.

Neo-Prodigy said...

I guess they weren't really friends to begin with. Better you find that out now so you don't have to worry (or have any guilt) about keeping in touch with them.

Hermes said...

I didn't know you were moving. Where ya goin?
There are friends (acquaintances that you would never miss if you never saw them again) and there are friends (who help you move and who you help move every time, even if you have to travel in order to carry couches). I'd help you if I wasn't moving in a week myself. I don't know if there's much difference between the Pacific NW and the BC Lower Mainland. Probably not much. One of the reasons I live in the north.

BostonPobble said...

Graziella ~ Ditto.

Krystal ~ Um...Aw hell, I'll just say it: I'm not terribly surprised. *sigh*

Cracker Lilo ~ That has been my experience living out here on the west coast. I will take the Northeastern aloofness over the Western ... whatever this is ... any day.

Neo-Prodigy ~ You are so right.

GOML! ~ And I guess the thing that gets me this time is that we haven't even asked for moving help, let alone the kind of help you're talking about (and I *have* both asked and given to friends). This really was very clear that it was just a chance to see each other again ~ and it was turned down. So be it. And yes, I would carry an end of your couch for you, too. :)

Anonymous said...

You haven't told us where you're moving to!
-MikeC

Rose said...

Some people don't know how to be friends, at least with these people you don't have to worry about catagorizing them.

Dreamer said...

Wow...completely different from my friends..."Do you need help? No? Well here I brought some food and I'll help you pack anyways." - "Oh do you need help moving that day?! I'll take off the entire weekend to help you!"

Then again, I live in the south.

BostonPobble said...

MChristie ~ I'll remedy that. :)

Rose ~ So true, so true.

Dreamer ~ Exactly. TOTALLY different from what I'm used to, as well!

Pharmyard said...

Wish I'd been there so look you in the eye and tell you it would be alright...which is all I think I did the one time you moved...of course it was a full time job that day.

traci said...

Well crap. I wasn't invited and that's a bummer. The Pacific Northwest isn't all that hospitable often times. I'm sorry that happened to you. Be safe in your travels. I trust we'll meet at some point although I don't know how there could ever in a million years be better opportunities than I blew a few months ago. Take care Pobble. I love reading your stuff. Your stories will certainly be differently interesting from now on eh?