Everything Under the Moon

I've lived in a number of small towns (and by small, I mean under 1,000) and I've lived in a couple of cities too. My experience with small towns is that there can be a HUGE difference in how tolerant they are. I've definitely lived in towns where it would cost a person their reputation, their job, and their actual safety to openly admit to being pagan. I've also lived in small towns where people were pretty open about it and suffered no greater consequence than being the subject of lots of gossip. I think there are a couple of things that make a difference. One is how insular the town is. Have the same families lived there for generations or do people move in an out on a regular basis? Insular towns can be pretty intolerant. The other one is whether there is a church stirring up paranoia about witchcraft. In a lot of churches, it's a non-issue but if there's an extremely conservative church speaking out against it regularly, then people feel justified in their intolerance.

You'll find that kind of intolerance in a city too, but people don't act on it the same way because they're more concerned about their own safety.

I come from a small town myself but I guess living here i have learned just to keep to myself. I share my beliefs and other things only with those I trust. I guess you can say not too many people here know the real me because I am afraid of their ridicules but those who do know love me anyway that i am!

Oh yes my town is small. I've been here since I was 3 years old. It's linked around other small towns but we do have a good selection of businesses around my area.

I've lived in the same town my whole life (pop.1500 last time I checked) and omg if ppl knew that I was studying Wicca I'd be a dead woman. Prolly literally. And I'd be homeless because my parents would kick me out. Kinda sucks sometimes.

Hmmm, I couldn't relate to you guys, seeing how I live in a town right next to D.C (Alexandria) and there are a lot of people here. But however, it doesn't stop a lot of them from being complete dickwads about it. Even though I haven't told anyone I'm into witchcraft, they still have plenty to judge me. I get picked on because I'm gay, and because I look White (Even though I'm actually South American). It's funny because the school I go to is switched up; the Black and Hispanic kids pick on the Whites and Asians. After I tell people that I'm South American, they become all nice and apoligize to me because they called me White. I really don't get people nowadays. But it's part of life

I live in a small town. Our town isn't close-minded but the majority is Christian so a lot of people find it hard to tolerate Pagans or Wiccans. That's why I don't tell anyone I'm Wiccan. Sasha & I get all our supplies from Tandy's (they order special stuff in for us if we ask for it) & whenever we go to Adelaide we stock up on as much stuff as we can without anyone finding out what we're doing. Gets tiring sometimes, lol!

I come from a town that is smallish. [15000 people]. I haven't had to deal with much here. It seems that there are all sorts of people here, probably because it is close to a city. In my town, it seems that people either except you for who you are, or they could care less.

I dont live there but I have family in New Haven Michigan (USA), its a very small town on the beach of Lake Michigan, I love it there cause its so beautiful. But Im sure everyone there would be extremley prediguece (sp?) against anyone that wasnt a white christian.

I live in a small town, pop. 3000. I really don't think most people here in town would take it very well if I said anything about witchcraft/Wicca. The only person from here I've actually said anything to is one of my neices because I seen her looking up spells on the internet when she was at my house one evening.

I come from a very small town, the population is about 1,000. And yes, narrowminded-ness is rampant here. I've actually gotten slagged off more for the way I look than for any of my beliefs...but I've learned not to care what others think and to just do what makes myself happy. So I guess its a good thing in the end.

Ironically, one of the most open-minded places I've personally ever been was a small town.

There's this town called Baldwin in MI which is right next to Idlewild, MI.
Yeah. Thought some of you would recognize that name.

See, there's this great little story that involves my great grandparents on my mom's side of the family.

It all started when the KKK decided that Idlewild must GO. It was this resort town for black people back in the day... like a Martha's Vinyard for black people. Say between 1890-1930's some time. This story takes place around 1919. Anyhow, the KKK come up from Indiana (where I live now... <wince>) to show them who's boss.
But see, there were lots of black people there... and several towns around there who's economy relied on Idlewild's existence... not to mention friends of the folks who lived there. My great-grandpa and grandma went out with rock salt in their shotguns and pitchforks and helped chase out the KKK... they ran away with their tails between their legs because too blasted many folks in that area stood up for Idlewild... and too many of them were *armed*. They were sorely outnumbered. I will also mention that these KKK folks had money, and well...even back then the area was pretty modest income-wise.

The deal is, even to this day, you see black and white people hanging out together at all age groups in ways that you don't even see in the big city. (Having lived in Chicago for a year or two sorta helps with that notion.)
But the area near there seems to be remarkably integrated. Sometimes isolation isn't such a bad thing.

Granted, I still wouldn't wear my pentagram openly there... so I guess it's not perfect. Oh well.

I GREW UP JUST OUTSIDE OF DETROIT AND MOVED TO A VERY RURAL AREA OF PA WHEN I WAS 15 THEN WHEN I GOT MARRIED I MOVED A LITTLE LARGER SMALL TOWN. IT IS VERY HARD. LIVING IN A BIG CITY THEN TO A RURAL AREA WITH NO NEIGHBORS DID NOT PREPARE ME FOR ALL THE DRAMA A SMALL TOWN. I AM NOW 41 AND HATE ALL THE GOSSIP AND BACK STABBING THAT GOES ON IN A SMALL TOWN IT IS WORSE THAN HIGH SCHOOL.

I don't live in a small town but I spend the weekend in one, people are really close minded and last time I was there I was quiet depressed so I was wearing all black (my clothes often reflect who I am at the time, mentally) So i was being called 'emo' etc, they are 99.9% all white, straight, christians. But It's important to be who you are and I'm proud of being wiccan

... I live in Alabama. Everything is a small town.