1. You call MLK "Logan Street" and have to apologize for confusing the poor tourist who asked you for directions. You also have a bad habit of calling Saginaw Oakland and Oakland Saginaw. You can forget about explaining Cedar and Larch.
2. You have given up trying to explain that MSU is in East Lansing, not Lansing.
3. Even though MSU is not in Lansing, you still may experience an inherent aversion to people wearing U of M or Ohio State T-shirts.
4. You regularly visit other towns including but not limited to: East Lansing, Okemos, Holt, Bath, DeWitt, Dimondale, Haslett and Waverly. And probably know at least a few families that live there.
5. You understand that a trip downtown means dodging down one-ways avoiding people in suits and the occasional protest/demonstration/5K marathon near the Capitol. You can forget about it when the car show or the Susan G. Komen rolls into town.
6. Silver Bells is a tradition. Thank God they finally started televising it so you can avoid the giant crowds and horrible November weather.
7. Your family and friends still joke about the high school rivalries. And you probably know a few people from all of the inner city high schools: Sexton, Everett, Eastern, Lansing Christian, Pattengill (before it became a middle school, that is), and Lansing Catholic, as well as the ones outside city limits: Waverly, East Lansing, Okemos, and Holt.
8. You’re on a friendly basis with every pothole on 127 and 96. And wish you weren’t.
9. You argue about where the lines for the city are drawn. Is the North Side everything above Michigan Ave or the Grand River? Does MLK break up East and West? Or should it be Cedar? Who knows.
10.If you’re from the South Side, you affectionately call the smoke stacks at Eckert Station "Winkin’, Blinkin’, and Nod." You know what it sounds like when they're getting cleaned out. You also know what the water rushing through BWL's dam sounds like.
11. When you’re near one of the plants, you glance over to see what GM has been up to. Those Caddies and Camaros look pretty good when they first roll off the line. You know a few people who had a hand in making those rows and rows of cars, too.
12. You’re tired of the unplowed roads in winter, the potholes in spring, and the construction in summer. Fall is pretty nice. At least when it isn’t pretending to be winter.
13. It’s not like you have anything against Cooley Law School, but Oldsmobile Park still sounds better to you. (Go Nuts!)
14.You like your chocolate from Fabiano’s, your baked goods from Roma’s, and your pizza from Emil’s--at least before it closed. What a sad day.
15. You know Old Town festivals are always a good time, and so is window shopping in all the little stores.
16. Seeing out-of-state license plates is never strange. In fact, you might be able to find 48 of the states between downtown and East Lansing.
17. You know there are three movie theaters to choose from: NCG, Celebration, and whatever the Lansing Mall just put in.
18. You’re always sick and tired of some radio commercial, whether it’s the Insane Inflatable 5K, the Lansing Bridal Show, or the latest event at the Wharton.
19. You’re fairly certain Sparrow Hospital is going to take over the entire city at some point. Figuring out how to navigate their...what is it now, six?...multi-floored, connected buildings is already hard enough. Though I’m sure LCC’s nursing program is thrilled about their expansion.
20. There's something about seeing that white Capitol spire in the distance that always makes you feel at home.
Additional picture sources:
https://www.pinterest.com/thomaslundqvist/oldsmobi...
http://unusual-cars.com/oldsmobile-curved-dash/
