Thoughts on Being A New Englander




This chilly Advent I have been very thankful for the cold weather. Yes I love cold weather, the pain it gives one is far more easy to deal for me then the irritation of sweat. New Englanders are not always like this that's why so many of them fly to Florida for the winter. That tells a lot of what kind of New Englander I am in one sentence: An Italian American Catholic, who loves Monarchy, Order and Liberty.


Most of these terms are not unfound in the history of this great province, we did have a King, the Anglicans here largely supported the Throne and loved Order, and the Puritans loved Liberty (at least according to the American founding mythos).

All these things are hard to reconcile for Southerners who see my province as largely liberal and secular, which is true now to some degree, but if you look at the history its rather mixed, certainly as a Catholic I don't revere the memory of the Puritan founders, but if you ignore the Puritan element here there is a lot to love for any one with a traditionalist and artistic disposition, the writing and life of Nathaniel Hawthorne, the French Canadians who came here and built "Little Canada" neighborhoods, the beautiful foliage autumn, Halloween and the customs surrounding it here,  the unique Seafood cuisine, and of course the Historical museums and organizations. 

I do not have mainstream New England views. But I can say unabashedly that I am a very patriotic and proud New Englander, I love this land and all the beautiful peoples, places and wonderful things you can find in it.








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