I thought of this picture as I met some local guys going about their business. According to them the hunting and fishing is terrible and the business climate worse. I know otherwise, or we wouldn’t have moved here. Business is good and so is the fishing.
The mornings are frosty and cold in Wisconsin where we have made our new home. I guess life’s transitions often feel that way. New people, though sometimes friendly, hold on to their jagged edges lest one gets too close. The prospect of building friendships in a new place seems to have cold and prickly boundaries. After all, why go through the pain of breaking or melting the ice between perfect strangers? My hope is that we will find the season of spring soon and let our buds blossom.
Realistically though, I have already put on my big boots and trampled on a few ice crystals round town (in a bold but friendly way with a smile on my face). I guess I’m wondering how they will take me in as I try to give them the impression that I assume they are friends who don’t know it yet. I know that it bothers some that I smile and nod as if they have amnesia and should know me from somewhere. It’s not a game for me, relationships are one’s life blood, even mine.
Oh, and those local boys I met? They probably think I just don’t get it. Truthfully, I don’t. I suspect we both have a lot to learn.
Gary
garyfultz 
Hi Gary!! It’s been a while since I’ve heard from you! How are you doing!? I see from your post you moved. Where Did you move to and what prompted it!? Hope everything is going well! Matt
Sent from my iPhone
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Matt
I guess a whole lot of people don’t know why we moved and I wonder myself about valid reasons. We have felt dry for awhile and we moved with my job moving to the Spooner WI area where I hope to hunt, fish, photograph, write music again, and continue the learning curve of being a decent communicator. Ironically we are closer to thew BWCA. A move shakes out who we are and who we want to be…hopefully that will not be pushed aside as life seems to put us on some kind of auto-pilot and short changes us all too quickly.
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Hey Gary. Great post. My wife and I moved to Minnesota from Colorado long ago an discovered what you have. People are slow to adopt new friends. Less transient communities are that way, I think, and you’ve probably moved to a pretty stable environment. I know that won’t last long for you guys. You’ll warm their hearts up quickly, if they know what’s good for them. 😉
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Thanks Leary
My wife and I have noticed that we need to evaluate what we have to offer and what we should be offering from our side of the friendship factor. It’s revealing and will challenge us to be much better friends to others as well. A high standard of friendship offered seems to be rare but we don’t want to lower the community standard with our presence.
You have great insight, Thanks
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You can always move to the Twin Cities and raise the standard of friendship here. 🙂
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Years ago when the wife and I decided we wanted to raise our children in a small town atmosphere, we ran into the same thing. Though people were friendly enough, you always felt you weren’t one of the home folks born and raised there.
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I know people tend to be friendly to each other and thus think they are friendly as a whole. But then my boat only fits so many people at a time.
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