My parents moved to a new city while I was abroad, and I've been staying with them since I've come home. I grew up in the previous home, located in a town that wasn't incorporated. The traffic was terrible, there was no sense of community, and overall it just didn't feel like the small-town America I had seen on TV or read about in books.
That has since changed, as my new home is very much the picturesque slice of Americana that would make Mark Twain smile. Town hall, town police station, a community that rallies around the town's school sports organizations... I truly felt like I had arrived, and this in particular was the perfect salve for my homesick soul. I wanted more than anything to see small-town America when I got back from Japan, and now I had it.
I've taken to exploring on my mountain bike, just traveling all through the town as I learn the various roads and neighborhoods. I often will ride out to main street and watch the sunset, where they have some benches by the train tracks that run through our town. I like to enjoy a cigar while the sun descends, and just really relax.
Of course, on Monday while I was there, two police officers approached me. They told me that they had a call, that someone described me exactly and said I was selling narcotics. "Now why would they say that," the officer inquired. The tone was confrontational, and the onus of proof was suddenly on my head.
I am still amazed that anyone can just call in a report such as this. I was minding my own business, but some ultra-conservative redneck saw me smoking something that wasn't a cigarette and they instantly assume I'm a drug dealer?
Now, in all fairness: as soon as the police officers heard me deny the claim, and explain that I was just minding my own business smoking a cigar, they immediately dropped the confrontational tone and even apologized for wasting my time. "Welcome to a small town, it was probably just some nosy old person." In the end they introduced themselves, shook my hand, we made some small talk, and they departed while wishing me a good day.
Still, it was a jarring experience that has definitely marred my image of this new town as an idyllic American community. Irony is that I'm one of the devoutly law-abiding people, who strives to live up to Plato's description of a "virtuous citizen".
In other news, the (corporate) powers that be have agreed to some sort of net neutrality agreement, though critics say this would be a dangerous precedent suggesting that corporations can self-regulate, which may lend itself to abuse in the future. I can't decide how I feel either way, and am going to wait for more details before giving it any serious thought. Still, very interesting.
Jim Carrey parodies Matthew McConaughey Lincoln ads
11 years ago
