Minnesotans have a reputation for being nice. So much so, the phrase ‘Minnesota nice’ was invented to describe it. If you want to be kind, you’d say that we are goodhearted people who will give you the shirts off our backs, then apologize because the shirt isn’t your size. It’s true that we are superficially nice as we will loath to say anything negative to your face. But, oh, how we’ll talk about you behind your back. We’re not much for ‘bless your heart’, but we have our equivalent. Our contempt is mostly conveyed by tone and knowing nods, along with an artfully raised eyebrow. I’m not saying the niceness isn’t real–it mostly is. I’m just saying it’s somewhat shallow as it’s extended to everyone. It’s more perfunctory than completely sincere, but I think it’s better to be superficially polite in public than a complete jerk.
There’s a downside to all that nicety, however, namely repressed anger. Anger is a natural emotion, and it has to come out somehow. I’m not a proponent of expressing it willy-nilly and in full force all the time, but I do think never allowing it to out can make a person do stupid things. Sometimes, it’s directed inwardly, and sometimes, it explodes in a situation that is anonymous, namely, driving a car. Once Minnesotans get in their cars, they become total assholes–me included. I was driving reasonably at the time of my accident, but I’m going to be real with you. I’ve had road rage issues in the past, and I’m pretty fortunate that I didn’t cause an accident while tearing around on I-94 or 35W. I’m much better now, even before my accident, but it’s scary how overtaken by rage I would get when I slid behind the driving wheel of a car. I see a lot of that while I’m driving. Minnesotans are pretty shitty at using their turn signals, which is one of my pet peeves. Even in my angriest of driving moments, I always used my turn signal. Yes, I know you know where you’re going, but I don’t. I would like to so I don’t run into you, if that’s OK with you. Continue Reading