Have to agree. I grew up in rural areas, and my experience was that everything around me was oriented around paying quite a lot of attention to making sure that

Have to agree. I grew up in rural areas, and my experience was that everything around me was oriented around paying quite a lot of attention to making sure that everyone thought and especially behaved in the expected way. Moving to the city as soon as I could probably saved my life, since I was able to find a place where I could be my weird self without endless bullying from adults as well as children for being different. The part of the country I lived in, people were exceptionally (unbelievably in retrospect) cruel to Mexicans or anyone else who appeared foreign, and anyone who came across as non-straight. I don’t think there is anything wrong with rural places or people, and I know many people can find happiness there (just like they can in cities). Many people are wonderful, just like many people in cities are wonderful. Many people in both places are not. That the desert is filled with noble savages, uncorrupted by civilisation, is a fantasy though. All that said, this article reads almost like a parody of something? I’m not entirely sure it’s intended to be sincere, or if it is mocking a certain kind of city person who idealises the countryside.