After arriving in Vancouver, I found myself much more relaxed. There's something about being in a place where no one really knows you, and probably doesn't care, that puts me at ease. I guess this anonymity is part of the draw of cities like Vancouver, and why smaller towns like the one I'm from are somewhat more constraining if you've been there for any length of time.
Plus, there's just so much more to do over there that it's not funny.
Part of the necessity of one's happiness is not having to interact with elements of your peer group that you find... repulsing. Vancouver's big enough that one does not have to be within a sizable vicinity of certain groups. With its limited gathering places and social venues, there's not much of a choice in a place as small as my hometown on this island.
I know it sounds a bit elitist, but that's a luxury I've only recently been able to exercise. There's a point in one's life where you are given the ability to choose your immediate peers, associates and friends. For some, this comes as early as Middle School; others enjoy this privilege in Secondary (High) School; personally, this only happened for me when I started getting a bit more actively social in University-College.
One only starts demanding something after one has sampled its benefits. Never having been able to be in a position to exclude anyone before, I hadn't thought it necessary for happiness. Having been excluded for most of my teenage life, though whether it was externally or internally caused is another question entirely, I find that exclusion often necessary for a group of people to get along with each other.
A sad realization, but some personalities just don't mix well with others; still others don't work in this or that scenario or atmosphere.
I don't think it's fundamentally malicious, but I think it can be used improperly. Careful use and respect is a definate prerequisite for this; something that I figure many learned when they were given the power of exclusion.
Still, I find myself at a loss for anything to do over here. I find that the demographics of people in my age category (plus or minus a few years) are generally not like me at all. Especially the women, most of whom seem to already have their first kids and have basically excluded themselves from any attention I or someone like myself would have given.
Another possible sign of evil exclusionary practices, I suppose. If you have a kid, you're basically zeroed out of the equation on my side. The good thing, I suppose, is that it's not really something that need be advertised.
In short, Vancouver was a welcome change of pace. I feel there are more people "Like Me" there than there are here, and that's a good thing in my book.
The strictly-personal "tragedy" of this, however, is that any job prospects I have in the future are pretty much rooted here and in places much smaller than even this tourist trap/retirement community.
After some reflection, this seems like a pretty dam pointless post... ... Ah, what the hell...
Plus, there's just so much more to do over there that it's not funny.
Part of the necessity of one's happiness is not having to interact with elements of your peer group that you find... repulsing. Vancouver's big enough that one does not have to be within a sizable vicinity of certain groups. With its limited gathering places and social venues, there's not much of a choice in a place as small as my hometown on this island.
I know it sounds a bit elitist, but that's a luxury I've only recently been able to exercise. There's a point in one's life where you are given the ability to choose your immediate peers, associates and friends. For some, this comes as early as Middle School; others enjoy this privilege in Secondary (High) School; personally, this only happened for me when I started getting a bit more actively social in University-College.
One only starts demanding something after one has sampled its benefits. Never having been able to be in a position to exclude anyone before, I hadn't thought it necessary for happiness. Having been excluded for most of my teenage life, though whether it was externally or internally caused is another question entirely, I find that exclusion often necessary for a group of people to get along with each other.
A sad realization, but some personalities just don't mix well with others; still others don't work in this or that scenario or atmosphere.
I don't think it's fundamentally malicious, but I think it can be used improperly. Careful use and respect is a definate prerequisite for this; something that I figure many learned when they were given the power of exclusion.
Still, I find myself at a loss for anything to do over here. I find that the demographics of people in my age category (plus or minus a few years) are generally not like me at all. Especially the women, most of whom seem to already have their first kids and have basically excluded themselves from any attention I or someone like myself would have given.
Another possible sign of evil exclusionary practices, I suppose. If you have a kid, you're basically zeroed out of the equation on my side. The good thing, I suppose, is that it's not really something that need be advertised.
In short, Vancouver was a welcome change of pace. I feel there are more people "Like Me" there than there are here, and that's a good thing in my book.
The strictly-personal "tragedy" of this, however, is that any job prospects I have in the future are pretty much rooted here and in places much smaller than even this tourist trap/retirement community.
After some reflection, this seems like a pretty dam pointless post... ... Ah, what the hell...