Loathing In California

Fear and Loathing in California

Throughout America's short history, California has been a mysterious land of snowy mountains, sandy beaches and fertile soil. From the Gold Rush to the Free Love movement, it has been a Mecca for the misunderstood, the thrill seekers, and the independent. For over a hundred years people have found what they were looking for in the sprawling lands of California. Throughout the years, the ideals of the misfits who populated California have shaped the mentality of today's citizens. People migrated to California to escape the rigid structure of the Midwestern communities. For many people immigrating to California, the definition of the California Dream was the escape from community. To many, it may seem that California
There are small, intimate communities willing to help out in times of crisis, and there are large-scale feelings of community in big cities, but there is also a state-wide sense of community that envelops every citizen of California. During my time in the Army, I came to the realization that Californians tend to stick together, especially when outside of their beloved home state. During my years in the Army, it was fairly easy to pick out those people who came from California. There was a certain quality about them that set them apart from others, and that quality seemed to draw the Californians together. Many people might believe that California has no community, but at the broadest level there is a definitive sense of California community. Californians take great pride in their diverse state; they are quick to defend whatever perceived insult is given to their often-misunderstood home. One of the biggest reasons for the mass migrations from the Midwest had to do with getting away from the overwhelming sense of judgment in small communities. In the Midwest, people were judged and deemed worthy citizens based on their honesty and hard work (49). In California, there is little judgment on the streets of big cities. The California community is a broad, statewide sense of camaraderie that envelops all of its
When asked if they missed the community feeling of the Midwest, many people said they did not, and even those people who had not listed the closeness as a reason for leaving did not seem to miss the community environment (51). Today's Californians have maintained similar principals of independence and anonymity. In the cities, many people do not know their neighbor's names. To many, it seems cold and uncaring, but it is a normal aspect of California culture. There is community across California, from the largest cities to the smallest suburb, but it is often overlooked because it does not meet the traditional standard of community. In California, people can be themselves without fear of judgment on a large scale; it is socially acceptable to be socially unacceptable. Even today, California beckons to people from across the miles; the call of freedom and adventure still lures people to its borders every day. And once inside, once they become a part of the California Community, they can feel truly free to express themselves any way they see fit, because California is a land created by misfits looking for a place to call