An Outsider's Perspective After 1 Week in the East Bay

Is this the best country in the world? I don't know enough about the rest of the world to answer that. Certainly, America is not perfect. But, she is ours. She is still special. In the Bay Area, the sentiment about her goes beyond apathy to anti-patriotism. Memorial Day came and went without so much as a murmur, let alone the sirens and gun salutes of a parade. I don't remember the last time I saw a flag with red and white stripes instead of rainbow ones. Pink trucks parked on busy streets proclaim a mission: no armed services recruiting from SF to NY. It's madness. And it's driven me to country music. That may be worse than drinking.

There's a haughtiness in the air here to which I have yet to become accustomed. It's different than the sort of proud arrogance one might encounter in New York City. It carries with it not so much an air of condensation, but rather a sad disgust for the way-ward rest of the country. Why! can't everyone see that this is the puritan beacon on the hill? Everyone is accepted, except the conservative, the patriotic, the big business. I'm surprised hot dogs are allowed in, being as American as they are.

The cool ocean winds sweep over the dozens of compact cities making up the Bay Area. It seems to whisper, carrying the collective conscience of the area. "We do what is right and proper. We protect all that cannot protect itself." An understanding rides on the wings of this wind, "and it's obvious that the rest of the country, nay, the rest of the world, would be better off if everyone else followed suit."

Doesn't the rest of the country understand the great value of a Prius? Don't these simpletons see that consuming non-organic fruit and veggies is bad for us and the environment? How could anyone even think of shopping at a Wal-Mart? Are our schools really so bad that someone can pass 1st grade and still be stupid enough to become a Republican? How unfeeling and barbaric people must be to eat a chicken that didn't get to run around in a field before being slaughtered! Drive!?

It's funny, in Nashville, I was sort of looked at as being too far to the left on some of these things. Walking the mile to school, not eating meat, etc. Here, I'm thrown on the opposite side. A conservative, with a Buick, hell-bent on buying dairy imported from the Midwest instead of the local stuff. I sort of feel like people here are just oblivious to realities other places in the country. I would love to see some of these people try to ride their bike to yoga in Wisconsin in February, or attempting to get to an appointment on public transport in Nashville. The hardest part for me here is to separate out the things I want to do out of spite, and those that I really need to do. I can walk half a mile to the store, I don't need to drive. The dairy, now that is out of spite, but it's continuing. (Boycott the happy cows!!!!)

Oddly, this prevailing attitude is not the thing that has grasped my attention the most or surprised me the greatest. But, that is a different subject for a different post.

(Original Post)

Bedroom

Cynical

Alan Jackson - Small Town Southern Man