10 Years in Seattle!

10 years in Seattle: I've grown to greatly admire of its balance of urbanity and nature, free-thinking and civilization, public education and private creative drive. Curiosity is encouraged, not resented. Seattlites are ironic but not cynical, which annoys more selfish places.

Among the many things I value: a truly dynamic culture and economy, yet a fairly low amount of corruption; a tremendous regard for workcraft of all kinds, as well as traditional crafts, music and art; higher education broadly integrated into the community, a great public university, cheap for residents, that is one of the best in the world, a public regard for nature, a working desire to make good social policies that make things better for everyone; a  fluid class hierarchy for a major American city; a serious understanding that profit is not the only consideration in life; and a healthy skepticism of power structures in religion, companies and government. And I think it's not a minor point that when I find myself talking to almost anyone I meet about Art, they usually offer a bit of genuine interest, from UPS drivers to fishermen to Grandmas in the burbs to your average hobo, who of course lives next to the galleries. Or at least they are too polite to tell me to shut up.

90% of the irritations boil down to emotional distance: (guilty!), and real estate (expensive- a by- product of urban success). The weather- personally I like it. Rain is good for writing, music, art and other life forms. If you like irrigated deserts, this is not your bottle of Evian. 

As for emotional distance, if you can't engage this conservation in a respectful and constructive way, I would urge you to seek an interactive counseling strategy of your preference, or perhaps spiritual guidance, in a creed that feels comfortable for you. 

Seattle's heart is empathetic, its work is serious, its soul is shy, and yet it rocks the rock. Kudos to my city!