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I was born in raised in a suburban midwest area, my wife is from WV. In some ways the area seems so backwards; a guy with the legal name "Stingray", trashy hou

I was born in raised in a suburban midwest area, my wife is from WV. In some ways the area seems so backwards; a guy with the legal name "Stingray", trashy houses and trailers all over. The closest mall is an hour drive. The only local entertainment is heading to walmart or the single screen movie theater. Yet there's an intangible charm to the area. A beautiful landscape, an absolute kindness and compassion to even unknown strangers. >I get the same kind of questions about addiction. People don’t understand what would push someone to drugs like methamphetamine or heroin. [...] That’s what every single addict I’ve ever known really wanted: just a second to breathe. So real.

a3n 9y ago
> In some ways the area seems so backwards; [short list of lack of facilities and features] > Yet there's an intangible charm to the area. A beautiful landscape, an absolute kindness and compassion to even unknown strangers. Perhaps when all you have is each other, not only are you "forced" to realize that you rely on each other, it allows you to rely on others and be relied on. Modern suburbs and cities with their abundance of impersonal support allow us, maybe even force us, to be recluses in a crowd.
- gumby 9y ago
  > Modern suburbs and cities with their abundance of impersonal support allow us, maybe even force us, to be recluses in a crowd. Being a major driver for people moving to cities, of course: you can't get what you want out in the sticks. Sometimes it's access to something concrete like a specific job or such, but other times it's because you don't "fit in" (e.g. you're gay in an intolerant area, or aren't interested in the local religion monopoly). Hopefully those who stick around find it to their liking.
jmspring 9y ago
The issue of addiction - especially meth and heroin - happens in rural / backwater areas as well as in urban / expensive. Santa Cruz and other parts of the Bay Area have huge meth and heroin problems. I've recently started spending a lot of time in a more rural part of California. I drive through areas that have "trashy houses" and "trailers", but as you mention there is also some very beautiful landscapes. I've also found the people to be generally much nicer / kind to those they may not know than all my years in the Bay Area. But, the area does have it's warts as well.

a3n 9y ago

> In some ways the area seems so backwards; [short list of lack of facilities and features] > Yet there's an intangible charm to the area. A beautiful landscape, an absolute kindness and compassion to even unknown strangers. Perhaps when all you have is each other, not only are you "forced" to realize that you rely on each other, it allows you to rely on others and be relied on. Modern suburbs and cities with their abundance of impersonal support allow us, maybe even force us, to be recluses in a crowd.

gumby 9y ago
> Modern suburbs and cities with their abundance of impersonal support allow us, maybe even force us, to be recluses in a crowd. Being a major driver for people moving to cities, of course: you can't get what you want out in the sticks. Sometimes it's access to something concrete like a specific job or such, but other times it's because you don't "fit in" (e.g. you're gay in an intolerant area, or aren't interested in the local religion monopoly). Hopefully those who stick around find it to their liking.

jmspring 9y ago

The issue of addiction - especially meth and heroin - happens in rural / backwater areas as well as in urban / expensive. Santa Cruz and other parts of the Bay Area have huge meth and heroin problems. I've recently started spending a lot of time in a more rural part of California. I drive through areas that have "trashy houses" and "trailers", but as you mention there is also some very beautiful landscapes. I've also found the people to be generally much nicer / kind to those they may not know than all my years in the Bay Area. But, the area does have it's warts as well.