It's In the Shoes

I don't really like DC (or, more accurately, Northern Virginia).

It's ok for now, but I don't see this as a place where I could live forever and ever until the end of time. There is a vibe here that rubs me the wrong way. People here are impatient. They dress in black and scurry around with their heads down. They speak harshly and don't smile. I don't know why they are in such a hurry. Where are they all going that is so important? They don't all work at the White House (now there are some guys with a serious lack of humor), or for Homeland Security or somewhere else that holds an equally inflated status.

They claim that they are Southerners, but I have lived in the Deep South. Twice. They don't hold a candle to what is really, truly Southern. They lack the Charm and Simplicity and Ease with which Southerners glide through life. These Mid-Atlantic-ers have efficiently eradicated the appearance of Joy from their tough veneers.

My heart feels constricted here. Like I'm afraid to say the wrong thing to the wrong person. I am loathe to even make eye-contact, lest I come, literally, face-to-face with their vacancy.

Though raised in Indiana, I'm a West Coast girl at heart. I loved the atmosphere in Southern California. We were there for 6 years, but I could happily spend another 60 there. People in Southern California are Happy and Relaxed. They realize there is more to life than The Job. They walk down the street with a Smile even Downtown. They wear colors and don't rush everywhere. They spend their weekends outside - biking, beaching, hiking, antiquing...


I do have a theory:

The women in DC are wearing pointy-toed, high heeled pumps.

The women in SoCal are wearing sandals and clogs.

You do the math.