JOKE’S ON ME
By Shannon Kuhfuss
It was three years ago that I woke up one morning in my dorm room in Milwaukee, WI with a new idea. I hopped out of my dangerously tall loft bed, glanced out the window only to find three feet of snow.
“What am I doing here?” I thought. I could learn the same things for my major in a much more aesthetically pleasing and climate friendly location.
I finished the year up and headed out west to sunny San Diego. I thought it would be a breeze. Everyone’s so relaxed all the time, not a care in the world. It only took a few months to notice the differences between the Midwest and California that I never saw coming.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those small town girls that grew up on a farm in Wisconsin and had a hard time adjusting to San Diego. I’m originally from Chicago, so I’m pretty familiar with how big cities work. This may also explain why I have the qualms with California that I do.
I love the relaxed California attitude because people seem a lot happier here and less stressed out, but I can only take that in moderation.
Where I’m from, punctuality is key. That says more about your personality than anything. You need to be on time, which is 15 minutes early, or else.
The, “I’ll take care of it later attitude” has yet to be discovered in Chicago. Taking care of business now ensures that work won’t pile up and cause a heap of stress all at once.
I’ve also noticed small things, such as comfort with strangers. If I’m waiting in a line for something, that doesn’t mean I’m standing there for the sole purpose of you to tell your life story. If I want to know it, I’ll seek you out and ask it, but chances are I’d rather watch paint dry than hear about your second cousin’s wedding when your uncle Karl drank too much.
The main difference I have found, however, involves personal space. Californian’s have no sense of it. Forgive me, but this might come off as a rant. If you are walking up or down a staircase, stay to the right. Everything flows exceptionally well if everyone stays to their right.
This doesn’t mean stop mid staircase, take out your phone, call your BFF and park it in the middle of the stairs! How can that be convenient for anyone? It can’t. They’re called benches, find one!
Personal space also has to do with unnecessary touching. If you want to get my attention, don’t touch me. That’s going to make me turn around, and you might get a fist in the face rather than a smile. If I don’t know you, don’t act like you know me.
This may just seem like I’m too uptight, but that’s really not the case. I’m extremely laid back, but sometimes peoples’ definitions of common courtesy clash.
I don’t regret moving to San Diego for a minute. It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever lived, and it stays that way throughout the year. There are just a few things that need improvement, and they have nothing to do with the scenery.
(Shannon Kuhfuss is City Times’ opinion editor)
