My parents moved to Cleveland, Ohio when I was 10, so I did not spring from the Ohio gene pool, I just grew up there. From the moment I arrived in Ohio, I knew those weirdos were a completely different breed.
Bullies were rampant, and proud, defiant stupidity was the default mentality. They have a collective chip on their shoulder because they know they suck, and they hate it, but they have to pretend they’re as good as anywhere, but deep down they know they’re not. Ohio is very cop friendly, and the cops are the most predatory I’ve encountered across America. The government is hopelessly corrupt from top to bottom, but not in an organized professional way, like in Florida, but in a ridiculous hillbilly way.
If Ohio was human, they’d be a self-loathing degenerate drunk, sobbing into their beer.
I left 25 years ago, and have never been back. I only miss The Cleveland Orchestra, the Art Museum, and couple of good restaurants, but literally nothing else, especially the shitty weather.
I grew up in ohio from a similar age, but had a lot of family there, and my experience is similar but different. I experienced a profoundly divided state. Good hardworking people, some of whom I’m proud to call family both by birth and found, but also the bullies you mention. I slowly watched the bullies start winning more and more until last year my wife and I had to leave as the state became too hostile to us.
I love where we moved and never want to go back, but I do miss a lot about Ohio, but largely I miss what it could have become. Though I also miss the weather, love me a Midwestern storm. Also my favorite bar is still there, and I love quite a lot about the 3Cs.
And yeah the chip on their shoulders is real. So many people feel stuck there. Ohio sucks and every ohioan knows it and jokes about it, but it used to not suck as bad. It still has good in it. It just gave up on improving when the jobs left. So many feel they can’t even attempt to get out. The despair is real, the feeling of failure and like they’re being judged for it is real, and the lashing out because of it is real.
It’s pretty funny. Every movie that depicts Louisiana shows the three blocks that include Bourbon Street/ the French Quarter. It looks beautiful, but the surrounding mile is the ghetto in each direction. I remember when one of the locals tried to sexual assault me when I was looking for marijuana; it’s hard sometimes, but I try not to miss it.
I also remember the time that my mom would go 20 minutes out of her way to work to avoid the interstate. Gang members were shooting motorists as part of their initiation. They eventually moved on to attacking homeless people, so she at least had that to be grateful for. It saved her time on her commute.
…aside from that, there is beautiful architecture. I think everyone should pay New Orleans a visit.
At least Louisiana has good food (Cajun AND Creole AND BBQ), and GREAT music. Cleveland was a really good music city, I’ll give it that, but the food wasn’t anything special.
I’m from the Boston area and as a kid we took a road trip to Sandusky for Cedar Point (Summer 2002ish). Driving through NE Ohio is still to this day, the most “white” poverty I’ve ever seen. We stopped at a local diner and I swear it felt like I was in a war zone. Everyone was miserable and shuffled around; the food was awful. Everything was fucking dirty or broken. I can’t believe that it’s supposedly gotten worse there over the past few decades.
My parents moved to Cleveland, Ohio when I was 10, so I did not spring from the Ohio gene pool, I just grew up there. From the moment I arrived in Ohio, I knew those weirdos were a completely different breed.
Bullies were rampant, and proud, defiant stupidity was the default mentality. They have a collective chip on their shoulder because they know they suck, and they hate it, but they have to pretend they’re as good as anywhere, but deep down they know they’re not. Ohio is very cop friendly, and the cops are the most predatory I’ve encountered across America. The government is hopelessly corrupt from top to bottom, but not in an organized professional way, like in Florida, but in a ridiculous hillbilly way.
If Ohio was human, they’d be a self-loathing degenerate drunk, sobbing into their beer.
I left 25 years ago, and have never been back. I only miss The Cleveland Orchestra, the Art Museum, and couple of good restaurants, but literally nothing else, especially the shitty weather.
Ohio truly sucks, even Ohioans know it.
I grew up in ohio from a similar age, but had a lot of family there, and my experience is similar but different. I experienced a profoundly divided state. Good hardworking people, some of whom I’m proud to call family both by birth and found, but also the bullies you mention. I slowly watched the bullies start winning more and more until last year my wife and I had to leave as the state became too hostile to us.
I love where we moved and never want to go back, but I do miss a lot about Ohio, but largely I miss what it could have become. Though I also miss the weather, love me a Midwestern storm. Also my favorite bar is still there, and I love quite a lot about the 3Cs.
And yeah the chip on their shoulders is real. So many people feel stuck there. Ohio sucks and every ohioan knows it and jokes about it, but it used to not suck as bad. It still has good in it. It just gave up on improving when the jobs left. So many feel they can’t even attempt to get out. The despair is real, the feeling of failure and like they’re being judged for it is real, and the lashing out because of it is real.
Totally valid. There’s a reason that the Cleveland Browns has the most out-of-town fan clubs than any other team - because so many people LEAVE.
I recall hearing once that Ohio was the most “average” state in the Union. The way you described it seems to fit that quite well.
It really is, though the republican gerrymandering and subsequent brain drain, did shift it to the right of the average American
Lol. I feel like you need to move to Louisiana to get some perspective.
You haven’t lived until you’ve smelled the ass wafting in the streets of the french quarter.
It’s pretty funny. Every movie that depicts Louisiana shows the three blocks that include Bourbon Street/ the French Quarter. It looks beautiful, but the surrounding mile is the ghetto in each direction. I remember when one of the locals tried to sexual assault me when I was looking for marijuana; it’s hard sometimes, but I try not to miss it.
I also remember the time that my mom would go 20 minutes out of her way to work to avoid the interstate. Gang members were shooting motorists as part of their initiation. They eventually moved on to attacking homeless people, so she at least had that to be grateful for. It saved her time on her commute.
…aside from that, there is beautiful architecture. I think everyone should pay New Orleans a visit.
I hadn’t lived until I licked it
At least Louisiana has good food (Cajun AND Creole AND BBQ), and GREAT music. Cleveland was a really good music city, I’ll give it that, but the food wasn’t anything special.
I’m from the Boston area and as a kid we took a road trip to Sandusky for Cedar Point (Summer 2002ish). Driving through NE Ohio is still to this day, the most “white” poverty I’ve ever seen. We stopped at a local diner and I swear it felt like I was in a war zone. Everyone was miserable and shuffled around; the food was awful. Everything was fucking dirty or broken. I can’t believe that it’s supposedly gotten worse there over the past few decades.
Yep, Ohio can best be described as Mediocre Shabby.