Anyone come from a small town?

[Skysong]

I was just curious if anyone else comes from a small town and had to deal with the close mindedness that usually accompanies a tiny town?

My town is 1 mile square and supported mostly from the old folks home here. It's difficult to wear a pentagram out and not get severe looks of disdain or disgust. I just wondered how someone else dealt with this. I just keep walking but sometimes it's just not satisfying lol

[LaFiamma]

I was just curious if anyone else comes from a small town and had to deal with the close mindedness that usually accompanies a tiny town?

My town is 1 mile square and supported mostly from the old folks home here. It's difficult to wear a pentagram out and not get severe looks of disdain or disgust. I just wondered how someone else dealt with this. I just keep walking but sometimes it's just not satisfying lol

It's not nearly that small, but I moved a few years ago from a much smaller city than where I live now. I was once almost fired from a job because someone noticed a book that was inside my backpack. People used to try to tell me that my tattoo of a Chinese character was evil and Satanic.

That was all before I ever aquired a pentacle.

The choice is yours. You can wear it on a longer chain and tuck it under your shirt. You can wear it out. Depending on the design, you might even be able to wear it backwards (Mine is made of glass, and if turned backwards, which I did on occasion, most people never noticed that it's a pentcle although it's perfectly clearly visible.

You can try doing some shielding work to make it less visible when needed. (I did this for my Very Catholic Great Grandmother's funeral. My mom didn't even notice that I was wearing it. And my mom notices EVERYTHING. Even when you'd think she'd be too caught up in what's going on)

You can wear a different symbol that represents your beliefs- a solid 5-pointed star is very similar, but much less obvious. Or a moon, or a crystal.

You can move to a bigger city where people will never notice or care (soooooo liberating, lemme tell ya)

You can smile back sweetly at the dirty looks and kill 'em with kindness. How much can they argue with you when you're so gosh darned nice?

If someone comments, respond politely. If you are talking to someone who's going to make a scene, let them, and let them be the one to lok like an a**.

Lead by example, others will see you for what you really are.

[Skysong]

Thanks so much for the tips. I will definitely be checking out some ideas for shielding spells the thought hadnt even occured to me DUH.

But now I'm all interesting in your pentacle. Glass? You wouldn't happen to have a photo would you?

[LaFiamma]

Thanks so much for the tips. I will definitely be checking out some ideas for shielding spells the thought hadnt even occured to me DUH.

But now I'm all interesting in your pentacle. Glass? You wouldn't happen to have a photo would you?

Gah...I used to but I think I deleted it, and I don't have a working camera to take another picture.

-not on my photobucket account...deleted it from my livejournal icons...never used it for an icon anywhere else.

sorry, I don't. I *might* have a file with it on my work computer, if I do, I'll post it on monday.

[Skysong]

Thanks so much for the tips. I will definitely be checking out some ideas for shielding spells the thought hadnt even occured to me DUH.

But now I'm all interesting in your pentacle. Glass? You wouldn't happen to have a photo would you?

Gah...I used to but I think I deleted it, and I don't have a working camera to take another picture.

-not on my photobucket account...deleted it from my livejournal icons...never used it for an icon anywhere else.

sorry, I don't. I *might* have a file with it on my work computer, if I do, I'll post it on monday.

Thanks a ton I really appreciate it. I bet it's just beautiful!

[Sobek]

i come from a somewhat small town. i dont care what other people think of me, i've always believed thats a good thing.

[Sercee]

The town I was from was a bit larger (15000 people). 70% of the population of 40, Norwegian/Ukranian/Polish town, more churches that phone booths.

That was a fun place to be when I decided I was going off the beaten path.

[Semjaza]

Hmmm... Well, although I live in a conservative Christian rural area, the nearest town is a 20 minute drive away and its population is about 4000... So I haven't really experienced the 'small town' thing. I live out in the boonies, an hour's walk from the nearest village (pop. 300ish), and I'm surrounded by fields and forests, not people.

I hardly ever wear a pentacle, and when I do, most people either don't notice it or don't recognize it. Very few people know I'm pagan, just my immediate family, and a few close friends. So I've never really had much trouble, 'cause no one knows. Most people make the assumption that I'm Christian, and I let them think that. People closer to my family make the assumption that I'm Baha'i, and I let them think that too. I'm much more irritated by homophobic and racist comments than religious ones.

But you can find close-minded people everywhere, not just in small towns. If you think that a town is full of close-minded people, you'll find that it is. If you try not to stereotype people based on where they live, you might have a better time.

Cheers,

Semjaza
FFFF

[Sercee]

LOL
That's a fair point, Semjaza. Being careful not to turn the stereotypical thinking back on someone else is important.

The thing is, many (not all, you're right) of smaller towns are like that. The really small ones are probably more like what you described and don't even know the difference. The ones that are more like very small cities, like where I came from, tend to have an elevated sense of elitism - they've made their community thrive (not a bad thing) on their hard work and beliefs. When someone comes along, or worse appears from their midst, that acts or believes in a way they perceive as contrary they tend to be a lot harder to get along with.

[LaFiamma]

But you can find close-minded people everywhere, not just in small towns. If you think that a town is full of close-minded people, you'll find that it is. If you try not to stereotype people based on where they live, you might have a better time.

This is true, though having lived in a huge city, a large city and a much smaller city (Dallas Texas, Baltimore Maryland and Lancaster Pennsylvania), I know that by the virtue of sheer numbers, you're a lot less likely to have problems in a larger urban area, be it because people are more open-minded, or that it's that much easier to blend in, or there are more like-minded people, or...whatver.

But I agree, one does not want to just assume that because it's a small town, everyone is going to be a closed-minded jackhole.

[Skysong]

I'll agree with that not all small town people are close minded I'll agree its just my experiance in my town when they shoe polished Witch on my house and I almost got hit by a kid I knew because he said I was an abomination and should be killed... maybe I just live in a jacked up town.

When I told my mom I was Wiccan she nearly crashed her car from shock. Also keep in mind 99% of the people in my town are white. They actually attack people of other races and burn crosses and things. Its scary to think this is Ohio and not the civil war sometimes.

[cnolan7263]

I grew up in an incredibly small town (2000 people), a small town that looked down on anyone who was even remotely different. Thank the Gods I got out of there - I'm currently living in St. Louis and have just as much anonimity that I want! HOORAY!

Plus, with living alone, I'm free to work on spellcraft, rituals, have as many books on the Craft out as I want without strange looks. It's a beautiful thing.

[Sobek]

skysong, maybe you should leave whenever you are able. it sounds like you live in a pretty crappy place. my town seems like heaven by comparison. how old are you by the way?

[Skysong]

skysong, maybe you should leave whenever you are able. it sounds like you live in a pretty crappy place. my town seems like heaven by comparison. how old are you bye the way?

I'm 20 but you're right this is a crappy town. The threats and such happened in High school *big shock* And all of those kids are now in jail for one reason or another... Big shock again.

My husband and I like it here though The police have been cleaning up a lot of the trash in town but still no one here but white people. I think people of other ethnicity are scared now.

[Sercee]

That's terrible to have happen. I think it's so wrong for anyone to have to be scared to live anywhere, especially Canada or the US, based on something they can't control such as ethnicity.

Why can't someone be proud and secure in who they are and where they come from?