People's reactions to what we see as "normal"

[mrsflibble]

I just wanted to ask if you get the same reactions to things as I do.

On arriving at the opticians this morning I appologised for being early as I'd misjudged the time it would take to get there. the receptionist offered to validate my parking and I told her no thanks, I'd walked. she looked at me as if I wasn't speaking english and then took a glance at my address. "but you live in ********!" she said with shock in her voice. either she is getting mixed up with the northern part of my suburb which has a slightly different name and is (for me) slightly more than walking distance, or she was shocked that I'd walked a mile and a half to get there. either way in made me inwardly smile. I'd had a lovely walk, lots of sunshine and could calorifically now "afford" an extra snack tonight, or even a stubby bottle of beer.

so, what caused your latest random member of the public recoil?!
did that even make sense?!

[red]

when we told friends we had made nettle pasta.. he said 'I saw some roadkill on the way here do you want that too?' sarcastically...
bit of a leap huh? wild food foraging to roadkill. like as though its all in one cranky box as far as he is concerned.

[hamster]

I get similar reactions to not driving. Most of my other hippie tendencies aren't immediately obvious to onlookers. Nobody's even really commented on me knitting in public, except people who are interested in it (though no-one sits by me on the train when I knit...). I don't generally seem to attract many shocked/confused reactions. (Shame!) Most people are just quite impressed, if mildly amused, that I make bread, make clothes, don't shop at T*sco etc...

The most memorable not driving thing was being told by someone at a recruitment agency that I was 'incredibly resourceful' at getting places by public transport, because I'd managed to find my way to a business park that was literally right next to a station. I'd had to walk the 15 minutes from my house to the station, get on a train, change at Reading, go 1 stop and walk about 100m to the job interview.... Hardly challenging...

[ina]

I took the bus to the All Energy conference in Aberdeen a few weeks back. The bus driver told me I needed to get a different bus, his wasn't going right there. But you go near it, I asked - yes, but I'd have to walk 5 or 10 minutes... well, since I was going to sit on my fat behind most of the day anyway, that wouldn't hurt me!

He was so shocked, he didn't tell me where I had to get off, and I ended up walking an extra 5 minutes! Oh dear...

And on a day off I took the car in to the village for repairs and MOT. My boss, who usually gives me a lift back from the garage, wondered how I'd got home. Well, I walked, of course... 4 miles, but it was wonderful weather, I was on holiday, and finally got to see a lot more than I had in all the years I'd been driving along that road.

[Russian Doll]

the fact that i do day trips to salsubury by train with the kids..people are like what dont you own a car

we do but the kids love the train and its healthier for them

[Annpan]

Walking into 'the village' 3 miles to go to parent and baby every week for 9 months, cycling in to 'the village' to decorate the float for the gala day, living in a remote community and having little interest in learning to drive (though if you check out my blog entry for yesterday, that may change

E doesn't eat chocolate, sugary sweets, crisps, fizzy juice, diluting juice, chips, burgers, chicken nuggets, or strawberries (I am not so happy about the strawberries...grrr)
E sleeps all through the night and for 3 hours during the day - and I let her.
We don't have a TV.
We don't drink (well not much) JohnM doesn't go to the pub
JohnM doesn't like sports (the occasional rugby or tennis match or olympic sport, but no football )
I don't get my nails done or legs waxed, or even go to the hair dressers.

I get weird looks from everyone of my friends and family for the way we choose to live. I sometimes feel that it is sad that the general population don't want to accept different ways of life... more fool them.

[Masco&Bongo]

I was introduced to someone the other day, like this...

"And this is Shelley, yes, she works in HR. Oh, and guess what, she likes GARDENING..."
Other person mentions that they have a "man wot does" for their garden
"No, but she doesn't do flowers, she grows..... HER OWN VEGETABLES!!!" now at an absolute shriek as if they'd found out I like to ritually slaughter my own relatives on a Tuesday night
"AND.... she eats them!!"
not only do I slaughter them but I spread their remains all over my lawn and dance round naked
"She even has... CHICKENS!!! In her GARDEN"
And a Thursday night too.... yes, absolutlely naked, yup, my own relatives

Honestly, you'd think no one ever grew a vegetable or ate an egg

[Annpan]

I was introduced to someone the other day, like this...

"And this is Shelley, yes, she works in HR. Oh, and guess what, she likes GARDENING..."
Other person mentions that they have a "man wot does" for their garden
"No, but she doesn't do flowers, she grows..... HER OWN VEGETABLES!!!" now at an absolute shriek as if they'd found out I like to ritually slaughter my own relatives on a Tuesday night
"AND.... she eats them!!"
not only do I slaughter them but I spread their remains all over my lawn and dance round naked
"She even has... CHICKENS!!! In her GARDEN"
And a Thursday night too.... yes, absolutlely naked, yup, my own relatives

Honestly, you'd think no one ever grew a vegetable or ate an egg

[ina]

Great!

Must admit, I'm quite lucky where I work - I'm not the only environment nut. But I suppose a different kind of work, and they'd call the men with the white coats out occasionally, too... The usual reaction to "I don't have TV" is "good for you". And I think one of my colleagues cycles something like 30 miles to work every day - one way. Oops. That's more than I've ever done. (Not in a day, but on a regular basis.) And there are several colleagues who sell their surplus eggs amongst staff, and offer seedlings or veg they have left over.

[lsm1066]

When we moved here, most of my friends were horrified. Not at the thought of the hugs garden or the big house. That's all fine to them. They were horrified that we have a septic tank! Apparently that's totally uncivilised. And worse, it's an old Victorian one with a crack in it. Which means that the part of my garden that it's in doesn't need fertilising and my septic tank needs emptying far less than most (and certainly far less than a modern one)

Lynne

[mrsflibble]

I don't drive. I'm a perpetual learner; insured on the car but can never seem to afford to retake my tests.
I use public transport.
Hamster; you're right. you don't look like the archetypal hippy. Not a dreadlock or piece of cheesecloth in sight
Annpan: I too let my darling have a nap if she wants one, and I refuse to wake her unless she's been asleep for over 3 hours or it's past 4pm. She sleeps through too. it's growing time!
I wear my walking boots nearly EVERYTHING if I know I'm going to be walking for a long time. including
(today) my very flowy, frilly, low cut, blue summer dress. My walking boots are dirty and purple. I wear them with whatever socks come to hand. today, rainbow ones.
James cuts my hair. he does a very good job of it too.
I cut sophie's. she wont sit still enough for James. I also cut james's hair too. he trims his own beard.
I don't wax, manicure or pedicure but I do have long ish nails which get the mud cleaned out from under them nightly with a bamboo skewer.
I don't wear makeup unless it's a special occasion, even then it's more often than not a little mascara, tinted lipgloss and blusher. if I can't find my blusher I have been known to use diluted natural food colouring.

lady at playgroup yesterday: "that's a cool top your daughter is wearing, where did you get it?"
Me: "I made it. the fabric started life as a reusable shopping bag"
L@PG "you made it?! out of a bag? is that ok on her skin?"
Me: "it's been washed and it's a polycotton blend so it's no worse than a t shirt from primark; except that it wasn't made by indian children working for 60p per hour"
L@PG "yeah, but still, they wouldn't use proper material on a bag would they?"
me: inwardly slaps forehead and outwardly smiles nicely.

[Jobi1canobi]

We'd recently had the usual round of HR questionnaires to fill in. It was asking the usual stuff e.g. name, address, gender, religion, disabilities and so on so that they could monitor stats for the government .

For the first time ever I saw fit to put that I considered myself 'pagan' in the religion box.

Later on we were at a mass offsite meeting that included the HR staff and over lunch the subject of religion came up. One of the HR staff was talking candidly with a manager who was happy to discuss the fact that he was seikh and his religious culture and practices. The HR staff member was stating that she loved finding out about other religions etc. I told her that if she wanted to know anything about pagan traditions - I was happy to discuss.

She told me that when all the questionnaire data was collated it became anonymous but she was highly delighted to learn that...and I quote...'We've got one of them!

She later explained that she didn't mean it to sound like I was some sort of extra-terrestrial but was quite excited to have someone who might tell her a little more about it, if she could only identify who it was!

[Masco&Bongo]

When we moved here, most of my friends were horrified. Not at the thought of the hugs garden or the big house. That's all fine to them. They were horrified that we have a septic tank! Apparently that's totally uncivilised. And worse, it's an old Victorian one with a crack in it. Which means that the part of my garden that it's in doesn't need fertilising and my septic tank needs emptying far less than most (and certainly far less than a modern one)

Lynne

I'm so jealous!! I'd love to have a septic tank!

[Masco&Bongo]

We'd recently had the usual round of HR questionnaires to fill in. It was asking the usual stuff e.g. name, address, gender, religion, disabilities and so on so that they could monitor stats for the government .

There used to be 3 boxes for "gender" - male, female and data not collected

There are now 4 - male, female, data not collected and indeterminate

Wonder what the Govt. statisticians make of that?

[contadina]

I've just had a sister, who is as disposable as they come visit, and among the gems she shared during the week were...

1. Ooh you've got dogs I would never have imagined you as a dog person (the fact my previous life working full-time in London and living in flats never crossed her mind as the reason I've never had any).

2. So when are you going to get your pool installed - this followed conversations about the environment, drought and mosquitoes. We're only 20 kms from the beach but she only sunbathed as you never know what's in the sea - but a chlorine-infected pool's ok...? I sometimes wonder if we're really related .

3. On leaving she bequethed me all her toileteries - including spray-on deoderant and facial wipes. She really couldn't comprehend my protestations that I only use natural stuff and make my own 100% olive oil soap etc.

As an aside though, I would say that more and more people who thought we were nuts to jack in secure jobs and all the trappings for a life of ss-ish are coming round to the idea. I'm guessing the hike in the price of food and fuel is making us all seem a little saner.