What ever could a Redneck do in Yankee Connecticut?

Well, I'm on the virtual road again, lookin' for a job suitable for a high tech redneck as I camp out in a cheap motel and drive a rented U-Haul pickup truck in Gainesville, Florida.

I've already put in for a couple of jobs that are telecommute. But I practically got shanghaied into submitting an application to a company called ASML in Wilton, Connecticut.

On paper, at least, I might be able to aggressively jump into this job, which pays $70/hr as contract.

Which money is sorely needed if I actually went there. Multi thousand dollar apartments. That's serious green.

But I did an overview of the situation that I'd face. I've been on a serious Christian spiritual thrust, and I mean like I'm channeling Jesus so strong sometimes that it's like I identify right down to the guts with His manly redneck side. And I have written more than one gospel song in first person prophetic mode (laden with His promises, addressed right to the listener).

And that's a problem now, I foresee. Because I can already envision what will happen when I go into one of those etiolated New England churches, or what's left of them. This ain't yesteryear's Puritans, who would understand. When those Puritans died, nothing replaced them. Only the shell of their legacy, which is painfully worldly now. I saw it happen in redneck Gainesville, how much more in New England? They serve out little spoonfuls of tincture of Jesus when I wanna haul out a bucket of stronger stuff and say HERE! And I'd get rebuffed at least, if not kicked out.

And wealth is leaving Connecticut (for what that's worth, but it probably augurs worse taxes or else a bad bust).

And then there's the Sandy Hook shooting. That was well chewed over on FR, but what strikes me is the way they reacted to it. There was such a hush-hush about the local details that some have proposed that the event was fabricated. I don't believe that myself. My hunch is that Sandy Hook was so ashamed -- not grieved, as in the church shooting in Texas, but ashamed -- that they sanitized it. Which is why not even obituaries, something that a more Christian, country-minded folk would not have omitted. And shame is the obverse of pride. I wouldn't get along with those folks as the robust "humble redneck" at all! It would be stilted to an unreal degree.

That said, if I absolutely HAD to go to Connecticut, what on earth could a Redneck do in that Yankee land? Beside pine away wishing he was down south again?

[But if I went, I know that God could find a way to turn Connecticut into (as the old song about Manhattan also went) an “isle of joy.”]

And here’s where my dreams run wild. Imagine getting to Connecticut, making it okay in the job, then suddenly my songs hit the big time, bigger than I had dared to dream. Publishers are mobbing me and my performing songwriting partner. Being close to the Big Apple becomes a big plus in that. I “retire” (actually shift my career to song writing) to a Connecticut farm, fulfilling another dream.

Now wouldn’t that be a Yankee redneck yeehaw?

Pray for me, for success.

Dear Lord, please bless trebb’s wife Ruby and son Dan as they undergo these hard times in their earthly lives.

Please bless them with the understanding that the earthly may decay, even cruelly, but that what is heavenly will stand forever and ever, including redeemed souls.

Please bless their lives so that the way they carry on even in the middle of the devil’s attack on the flesh like this, they would show the Spirit in an astonishing way to the watching world. And may this begin a chain of witness whose effects will be so visible in the world, that this seemingly senseless suffering will have meant more than anyone on earth ever guessed.

And if possible in Your mercy, may even this earthly disease suddenly be arrested for a testimonial miracle in itself.

I pray unto and in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Amen.

ASML is about three miles from my home and I’ve lived here for over 50 years. I come from a southern family, so I have a bit of perspective. Let’s take a look at your concerns and see if I have some answers for you.

Serious scratch is needed for rents around here, but income is high too, so it balances out somewhat. I’m guessing a small commute of ½ hour is ok. You don’t say if you are alone or bringing family, so I’m just going to point out areas. Wilton, Stamford, New Canaan, Darien, Ridgefield, Norwalk, Weston and Westport are all close by and within ½ hour at rush hour. Stamford and Norwalk are the larger cities probably have the greatest rental potential for condos, apartments and such. The other towns are smaller, geared towards houses with two acre lots, and while beautiful, are very expensive and are pretty much upper-middle to upper class bedroom communities. You can find one bedroom apartments and Studios for $1500 - $2000 depending on location, amenities, etc. Slightly more for high end and slightly less for.... ahem...the other side of the tracks.

Churches abound, and while the Catholic population is at about 40%, this area is extremely diverse, and you can find everything from Hindu temple to Seventh Day Adventist. Based on your description, you would find yourself at home at Black Rock Church in Fairfield (or one of its satellites), or perhaps at Word Alive in Norwalk. Muscular Christianity at both, and welcoming communities also. I know both well.

Regarding Sandy Hook... some explanation of the area needs to be discussed. This part of Connecticut has two distinct populations – native and transient. Only 50 years ago, this was pretty much farm country north of the Merritt Parkway, five miles inland from Long Island Sound. The native population stays to itself for the most part, and forms the bedrock of church life, town politics, the trades, etc. and can be considered by outsiders to be insular or unfriendly. This is New England, despite its proximity to New York, and true Yankees can be taciturn, but not overtly unfriendly. The transient population are rather opportunistic and come and go according to their work, fortune, destiny, whatever. We natives pay them little mind and do our best to outvote them.

Sandy Hook struck a blow in that almost everyone native to the county personally knew at least one family affected by this. There was great grief in our area. But ashamed? That may have come from the non-natives who have no roots in the area and are naturally fearful of everything. Many come from the city, and are completely bowled over and shocked by a pro-gun culture. There are lots of them, and they vote.

CT is a shall issue state, and most natives own firearms of some sort – fewer rifles and more shotguns due to the shortage of land. There are fewer and fewer places to shoot near the coast but outside of the cities, there is some excellent hunting. Duck, inland birds, turkey and deer are all plentiful.

You WILL wish you were down south again, particularly during January. Spring comes late and trees don’t get buds until late April. It stays cold and bare from November to April. Spring is glorious and summer is warm and verdant. Fall is where we shine and there is almost nothing as beautiful as a New England autumn. Our BBQ is amateurish for the most part, but you cannot touch our seafood and the diverse palate will have a field day here. You will find restaurants representing every corner of the earth with 15 miles, and CT pizza puts both New York and Chicago to shame.

That’s it – Good luck!

I try to handle it as carefully as I can. But dog my cat, I have a big heart, to the point of being very awkward with it. I think of trying to park a monster truck downtown.

That's part of the beauty of Him - He listened to a "stiff necked crowd" and gave them what they wanted to show them how sin abounded when we decided to "do it ourselves".

Along with Acts, Romans puts it in a nutshell and emphasizes that we are incapable of doing anything except to accept His Grace because He knows our sinful natures like we can never do - even as we lament, like Paul, that we keep finding ourselves doing that which we know is wrong and balking at doing that which we know is right - "The poor in spirit...."

We are encouraged to think and examine His Love from all angles because He is humble enough to know us and love us anyway.

Thank you so much Soxy.

I was hoping someone with a local view might comment.

The scratch is a possible issue for me. In that I’d have to pony it up, up front. And my FICO is not gorgeous. But again this is not my first rodeo getting started in motels. Which don’t look as bad as I feared.

The other issue is what in the world would I drive, my car having croaked on the way to where I am now, and my budget nowhere near enough to buy one yet, and my FICO stopping me from normal rentals. Well I’ve made U-Haul pickups do for me in rural and free wheeling Gainesville, but I don’t know how my proposal to do that long term will come across to Yankee land. Officially the parent company doesn’t do that. Unofficially the locals are tickled every color of the rainbow to get my money and see their truck utilization rate pushed way up.

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