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the veil is thicker here
Mar. 12th, 2007 12:27 pmThis morning had me pondering the differences in my experiences here in Boston, versus other places i've lived, like New Orleans.
In New Orleans, even mundane, everyday life had a much more numinous quality to it. You never knew when things were going to take a surreal turn, or when on an average night out you'll have a chance encounter with someone who will change your life, and then vanish. Three times now on Mardi Gras i've made meaningful connections with someone new. Leaving the house and going out, even alone, took no effort at all.
Here, things feel so different. It's not the cold, though that doesn't help the instinct to just stay home. The only way i can describe it is that here, the 'veil' is thicker. Some places, like Charlotte NC and Boca Raton FL, have thicker veils; in other places, like Austin TX and Asheville NC, the veil is thinner. In New Orleans it's practically transparent.
In Austin and Asheville, as in New Orleans, i was always surrounded by plenty of people of like mind and found lovers and friends. I was more creative and mystical. Leaving the house seemed like a perfectly natural thing to do. But in contrast, when i lived in Charlotte and Boca Raton, i was a total shut-in; going out took effort, and i didn't form any lasting friendships.
Please, don't bother to chastize me if your mileage is different, this is clearly a very subjective topic and other people can have vastly different experiences of a place.
But it suddenly seems no wonder that after three years of living here i've become an atheist.
In New Orleans, even mundane, everyday life had a much more numinous quality to it. You never knew when things were going to take a surreal turn, or when on an average night out you'll have a chance encounter with someone who will change your life, and then vanish. Three times now on Mardi Gras i've made meaningful connections with someone new. Leaving the house and going out, even alone, took no effort at all.
Here, things feel so different. It's not the cold, though that doesn't help the instinct to just stay home. The only way i can describe it is that here, the 'veil' is thicker. Some places, like Charlotte NC and Boca Raton FL, have thicker veils; in other places, like Austin TX and Asheville NC, the veil is thinner. In New Orleans it's practically transparent.
In Austin and Asheville, as in New Orleans, i was always surrounded by plenty of people of like mind and found lovers and friends. I was more creative and mystical. Leaving the house seemed like a perfectly natural thing to do. But in contrast, when i lived in Charlotte and Boca Raton, i was a total shut-in; going out took effort, and i didn't form any lasting friendships.
Please, don't bother to chastize me if your mileage is different, this is clearly a very subjective topic and other people can have vastly different experiences of a place.
But it suddenly seems no wonder that after three years of living here i've become an atheist.
