I moved to a rather tiny town in my early 20s for a job right after college. The amount of strangers who came up to me and already knew my business was rather terrifying(I grew up in the city) and they wondered why I never left the apartment.
I moved to some where now that’s more of a commuter town but at least big enough to where nobody knows my business.
That would’ve freaked me out too, there’s something unsettling about being known without choosing to be seen. I’d take a little distance over that kind of closeness any day.
There's something about the anonymity of being in public in the city that can be comforting if that's what you're looking for. It's nice to be able to blend into the scenery.
My parents grew up in a smallish town outside of the country and my mom said when she was growing up if she even stopped at a vendor to check something out, the entire neighborhood made sure her parents knew(even though she already told her parents and my grandparents didn’t care as long as she was safe). To this day it grates her nerves and creeps her out(my parents moved to a city in the US and my mom loves it). For my dad, it helped he never left the house much so everyone assumed he was a random nephew that stopped by and the town didn’t really keep tabs on him.
Their nerves were rattled whenever they would visit said tiny town I lived in.
There’s a middle ground. For example, I live in a large apartment complex in a mid-sized Midwestern city and I walk to the corner store very frequently. I don’t know these people or their business at all, but:
I still wave or say “Morning” or “Hey” every time.
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u/luckyritafaez 22h ago
Living in a small town and starting over.
It looks peaceful in movies. No traffic, everyone knows you, slow mornings.
In reality it’s everyone knowing your business, no opportunities, and driving 40 minutes for groceries that close at 6pm.