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jan 13 2015 Jan 13 2014 april 26 2010 nov 13 2009 sep 21 2009 |
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i am not hungry jun 13 2001 - 5.25 pmwho knew the country could be so exciting? i guess to make up for the lost hustle and bustle of urban life, the rural folk create scandal all by their lonesomes.
this area has a large pot-growing element to it, which creates all sorts of complications if you live out in the "bush" and aren't from the community. there is a large pot-smoking element, as well, as this is a refuge for draft-dodgers, commune dwellers, and now, their families. the second generation of hippies, right here in my own backyard.
there is also a population of religious zealots, born-again catholics and their [large] families, seeking to have a simpler life, where they can homeschool their children (well, their wives can homeschool), grow their own vegetables and practice canning and preserving (well, their wives can do this), be a part of their church community (well, their wives can clean the church 4 times a week), and be academic through constant study. there has been such an increase in this demographic that there is now a post-secondary "college" for these catholic youth, homeschooled all their lives but now wanting to attend universities. this college (a one year, building to two year, program) provides a transitionary period to assess skills, and continue with religious education. the first class consisted of about 6 people, which dropped down to 4 after two of the students fell in love. they were asked to leave, because apparently, finding love is not part of a catholic education. go figure. along with the hippies and the hardcore religuese is an artsy element; painters, potters, musicians all take to the hills to find inspiration from the spirituality and beauty of the surrounding environment. this, of course, leads into the new agers, tantric sex meetings, spiritual massage groups, and the list goes on. it has been postulated that the magnetic fields in the area attracts these non-conformists. this has also been postulated as a potential cause or factor to the high incidences of multiple sclerosis in the area. whatever the cause, these people can't keep out of each others' business. they have flings, get pregnant, move away, move back in, gossip gossip gossip like you wouldn't believe. these new populations coupled with a very traditional rural mentality and "way" makes for a lot of eyebrow raising, damnations in the directions of the Other ("those hippies" "those polacks" "those pot-smokers"), and incredible stories. that game of telephone, one person whispering a message in someone's ear, and it being passed around until the final message is a distortion of the first, completely irrelevant, completely illogical, and completely compelling. maybe this is how my mother is a NARC spreading rumours about her boyfriend's pot-growing, while my father is away to keep the cover intact, and all her kids are strung out on drugs. not to mention that daughter of hers who is going to have a sex change. she's already practicing living as a man in the city. (this is speculation on how my family is perceived, based on observations, tidbits, and my own wacky imagination inspired by this rural setting and its inhabitants) last time***next time