really good point.

I was born and lived until recently in a large, pretty prosperous city. these days I spend most of the year elsewhere, in a remote place that has historically been preyed upon for hundreds of years by various governments — local, federal, foreign. and of course governments are people-generated and operated — many of them, in this situation anyway, from my hometown.

I’m white, by the way. and so is almost everyone in this remote place.

the people in this place hate hate hate my hometown and anyone from there. and they always want to know where incomers are from, and why. they’re good people — very very good people. but they come from a long tradition of being victimized from outside and inside — and also by the weather. every family has many stories of family members killed by the weather. generally people continue to feel angry, helpless,, under attack. and here I am!

generally, we are ignored, though we have a (very) small number of good friends. I think I probably have the best education of anyone in this tiny town, though i think there’s a retired judge here sometimes. I am always aware that my enchantment with this place, and the circumstances above, make me seem like an affluent, invading tourist — I’m always trying to blend in — but when i smile at people, they rarely smile back.

such is life ;)

is that the kind of thing you mean Kindra?