A random thought about the positives of life on the island

Two cars were parked at the side of the intersection on my way to work the other day. Passing by, it looked as though there had been a fender bender. It dawned on me that this was the first accident scene I had driven by in the year and half I’ve been here. By contrast, an ‘intersection accident’ was something I passed weekly, if not daily, in Phoenix. In Oregon, accidents were less common but certainly not rare.

As an ex-pat, I’ve noticed that the things we miss from home come up in conversation much more than the things we are happy to escape from. Similarly, my blog entries may have discussed the negatives more than the positives but there are plenty of positives about living here.

It has been nice living a life that doesn’t include the omnipresent stress, fear and annoyances that are part of everyday life in the U.S. Driving here is stress free and the rate of speed so slow that there is little fear of getting seriously hurt in a car accident. The constant sound of car alarms and cell phones which in the states had turned me into a Grinch-like creature grimasing the words “noise, noise, noise” is gone. The bombardment of advertising and telemarketing simply doesn’t exist. In fact, advertising isn’t really needed at all. When a ship arrives and grocery store is restocked, word gets around.

There is minimal crime on the island and less acts of random violence. Without the media coverage that exists in the U.S. the crime that does occur here doesn’t result in a culture of fear. In fact, fear is replaced by friendliness. As one longtime ex-pat remarked to me, living here he has gotten use to chatting with strangers. When he goes to the states and out of habit starts to strike up a conversation with a random stranger, he is treated with suspicion and mistrust. Parents don’t worry that their children will be abducted and kids in first or second grade can safely walk to school or the corner store alone.