Sometimes I think, that living in a small town is…well anything but wonderful. I think that if I could just move to a place, even slightly bigger with more people – life would be, you know, easier. You wouldn’t have to deal with the same cashiers. You wouldn’t have to bump into someone you know every time you go to town. Living in a big city – it would erase all those small town problems. Living in a small town, on an Island? Kind of makes things…unique. And sometimes, in the back of my mind, I assume that everything is chocked up to small town, island life.
Lately however, I am missing that small, crazy town I call home. Call me crazy. But I am.
You see, I have spent the past almost five months…residing in England. I wouldn’t call it living – because I don’t live here. But its more than just visiting, because it’s kind of like home too. Either way – this ‘small town’ is completely different than the small town life I am used to. At first I assumed it was culture. People here are different. Not in a bad way – just that every culture has its own things, so does this town.
But lately…I’m left wondering something.
Wheres Waldo?
I’m wondering if it’s possible that people are so concentrated here, living so close to each other, and having to deal with so many people every day – if maybe, just maybe, people are simply tired. Tired of other people. You can’t walk five minutes without running into people. There are always people. Everywhere. Always. There is no escaping them. There are no quiet zones. There are no peaceful mountains, no empty forests, no rushing rivers – no serenity. There simple are: People. Everywhere.
Sure – there are places you can travel to, to get that kind of scenery. You can travel to lakes, and rivers, forests and hills. But it isn’t the everyday life. Everyday life is people. People. And more people.
Earlier today, Amanda and I were talking. We were on one of our familiar topics: Are we going crazy? It seems that as of lately, the line between right and wrong, good and bad has been erased. No one seems to care. No one seems to be bothered. Happy to turn their heads, look the other way, ignore the problems. We tossed a few ideas around – maybe it was the large quantities of people, maybe it was the fact that people were tired, or maybe, was it possible – that since there were so many people – there were just MORE crazy people than we were used to deal with. Was that even possible?
Not five months ago, while holed up in the office at the shop – not having to see anyone for days if I didn’t want to, I thought life was to inhabited. “I don’t want to see another person!” I am commonly heard saying. Because sometimes, you need a break. A ten minute refresher to reset your mind, and relax.
Here? That isn’t possible.
In a town that is much, much smaller than our little island home – but with five times the amount of people – it’s impossible to have a moment to yourself.
With that many people, in the small of a location – you get more than your fair share of people. You hardly ever see the same person twice, but you always see them. People, people, people – Everywhere. Maybe it’s the condensed conditions in which people live – not an inch of space between their homes. Or maybe it’s the fact that there are so many of them that cause people to become burned out with the others around them.
We never did come to an official conclusion. We mostly decided that since there were so many people, there were also MORE of the certain strain of nuts that like to officially ruin your day.
Either way – I have officially decided: Big cities, big towns, big places – are nice to visit. And don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed every single bit of time I have been here. But personally? I don’t think a smaller town with a little bit of breathing room ever did any harm to anyone.
Even if you do know most of the population in said town.
Tangled Thoughts 