Okay. I'll start with my current neighborhood and express the issues I have. They actually aren't bad issues. It's that I became jaded over the years and am not used to an incredibly nice neighborhood with friendly people and a great sense of community.
When I moved here a little over a year ago there were people giving me heartfelt welcomes, telling me if I needed anything to just give a call or knock on the door, giving gifts. I received a coffee cake, a peach pie, beer, and an invite to a rockin' cookout...all in the first two days. The cookout was great by the way.
How did I react? Well, I was thankful and practiced my exemplary social skills, common courtesy, etc. HOWEVER! My mind works in strange ways at times and I became suspicious. "What do they want from me?" "Are they just feeling me out?" "Can they be trusted?" "Am I going to be in a cult-like environment and end up being put in some large effigy only to be burned alive and sacrificed like Edward Woodward in the 1973 movie, The Wicker Man?" I am not kidding!
Clearly that isn't normal behavior. Then I start to get self-conscious and begin to wonder if they think I'm some kind of weirdo. "Am I putting off strange vibes?" Am I being short with people?" Do I rush off when a neighbor says "Hi! How are you?" The answer is yes. So many questions and doubts! I also find myself looking out the window before I go out as if I'm planning an escape.
I think they are on to me and are of the belief that I in fact am a weirdo. In my defense, I have lived in some neighborhoods that conditioned me to be suspicious. I lived in a place that was shot at many times. Lived in crime ridden places. Years of conditioning and certain experiences or interactions caused me to be cynical. Those stories will follow soon...
Oh, and a few of those stories will contain some unsavory details. All true. ShayP believes in transparency and sharing experiences.
