Lancer Kind

The other day I was traveling from Seattle to Canada and it was drama, it was action, it was like Firefly: I discovered my alternator was going bad, I didn’t have cell coverage to call for a tow unless I crossed back into the US, I had to make it through an alliance checkpoint (well the US in this case). I nearly made it.

The US border patrol flashed the green light for me to pull up to their booth and as I rolled forward the alternator completely ceased working. The good news is that the inspectors helped me push it into the US where I called up a tow. (The US border patrol at the Peace Arch were very professional and nice. The Canadian border patrol is very professional however cranky as hell this year.)

The tow truck driver was from a small town called Sumas, population 900. He gave me and my truck a lift back to the Seattle area. The drive was over two hour. He talked about how he thought living in the city would be hard because you have to lock everything down or someone takes it: your car, your kids, your front door. He said he didn’t have home insurance because he wasn’t worried about anyone stealing his things. He also told me he only had recovery truck insurance in case of an accident and not because he was worried about theft. I agreed with him. I grew up on a farm, population 4. My parents never did have keys to the house. The only times I used the locks was to lock my brother or the babysitter out. (Entertaining both times.)

The tow truck driver said he couldn’t imagine living somewhere where he didn’t know his neighbor or everyone in town.

True, I said, but in a city, your social circles are different. In a city, rather than wasting time getting to know a neighbor with whom the only thing you have in common is geo coordinates, you can socialize with those who have interests common with your own.

For example, this Friday, I went to a Battlestar Galactica party (BSG). Though I don’t live near any of them, we had a great time watching the show and then hanging out because our love of BSG brought us motherfrakkers together.

This motherfrakker is serving a 13th colony vintage.

So though the country mouse knows his neighbor, he doesn’t have much choice in the matter or he’ll get lonely. The city rat can choose to know his neighbor or not, and even if he’s a motherfrakker, in the city, you’re just another motherfrakker among many. So go out and visit Meetup.com and find your own.