The Slice: Around here, it all goes back to the start

Here’s my crackpot theory:

People who moved to this area in the same year tend to have similar perspectives on Spokane’s problems and prospects.

That’s not a hard and fast rule, of course. There would be countless exceptions. And I’m not talking about politics.

But over the years, I’ve discovered that people who arrived here in, say, 1987, often see at least a few things the same way. Same goes for those who moved here in 1969 or 1992.

I don’t have any hard data. It’s just an impression.

But it almost makes sense.

I mean, people who landed here at roughly the same time would have seen the same news events and lived through the same cycles of optimism and disappointment about this area’s future. That can somewhat predispose them to have similar reactions to the next big thing or the latest reinvention of the wheel.

Sure, other factors can be bigger influences – the size and cultural vitality of the city you came from, for instance.

Still, I think the Same Year Theory holds up more often than you might guess, even when ages are far apart.

So why don’t people who were born here in a certain year all think alike?

Because growing up here means you acquire your knowledge and perceptions of this region gradually. Newcomers, on the other hand, soak up a truckload of impressions in their first year here.

And the images and memories you internalize in 1964 or 1998 are like a time-stamp on your outlook.

At least according to my theory.

I’ll admit it. In terms of lunacy, this probably falls somewhere between the significance of birth order in families and the influence of the zodiac on our lives.

But if you weren’t born here, do me a favor. Think about your friends and co-workers who came here the same year you did – assuming you know any.

Then ask yourself: Do I tend to perceive the Spokane area’s zeitgeist in much the same way as Sally or Jared?

I’ll await your report.

“Today’s fall foliage item: Rockford’s Philip Purcell ranked the states he has lived in for autumnal splendor.

1. Colorado. 2. Minnesota. 3. Oregon. 4. Idaho. 5. Washington. 6. South Dakota. 7. Texas. 8. Nevada. 9. California.

North Idaho’s Florence Hemingway, a former Vermonter, said the Green Mountain State is now and always will be No. 1 for fall color.

But then Tom Carroll had this: “My wife Gail and I visited the New England states last October to take in their autumn foliage colors only to be disappointed because of unseasonably warm weather. On our way home from the airport, we passed by Finch Arboretum and viewed what we had just traveled over 4,000 miles to see.”

“Today’s Slice question: Who would you trust to fill out your election ballot?