Lauren's Dec env - Why Duh Moines?

 

My usual comment on Lauren's envelopes -- soooo cute, soooo clever.

I saved the card and it is already scheduled to pop up on Dec 24, 2022.

I need to get some of those stamps!!!!

***

Back in December, Leslie wondered (in a comment) why I refer to our fair city as Duh Moines. I try to be nice about the middle-ness of life in the midwest. We are clearly different from *costal people.* I tend to see the humor when there is good natured rivalry between states or regions of the country. Lots of us have been places where people will poke fun at the concept of being from Des Moines. So, not being a native - it's my leftover *turf-swagger* from my upbringing in the Twin Cities - to call it Duh Moines.

Technically, Duh is phonetically correct - and I wouldn't mind changing it to Duh Moin.

There is one other circumstance that probably makes me poke fun at DSM. A few of the locals (and they are usually natives) exaggerate how wonderful some of the local features of DSM are. For example -- they will  overstate how wonderful our very regional museum is. It's not a bad museum -- but I have been to other regional museums that are so much better. Milwaukee for one. I usually win this argument by pointing out that our museum is one of the few (maybe the only) regional museum that can't get people to pay to see the works. It has always been free - except that one time a new director thought it was egregious that we did not charge - and she instituted a fee for visiting the museum - and everybody stopped coming. They had to revert to *free.* So -- I think that says something.

There will be a list coming up - with all the wonderful things about life in DSM.

***

P.S. Museums keep track of attendance and they receive grant money based on how many people visit. So, the lack of paying visitors would have also reduced their grant funds - which would have probably put them out of business