You know what I have noticed about living in the pacific northwest, we don't speak to each other? We roam around and act like we are in our own little bubbles. They even have a name for it up here, it’s called the "Seattle Freeze." It’s widely believed that people who move or transplant to Seattle have difficulty making new friends. As someone who was born and bred here, this is so true. I didn't realize it until I started traveling. Whenever I’m in the southern states like South Carolina, Texas or Florida, people love saying hello and enjoy speaking to one another. When I come back home and speak to strangers, they just keep on walking. I know you might be saying to yourself, "well maybe they had their ear buds in and didn't hear you." While that is a valid assumption, you are wrong. I actually make eye contact when the person walking by and says hello and they look right at me and keep walking. Most of the time they act as if they didn't hear me. Now I would be lying if I didn't feel slighted at times, and then I have to remind myself, people are just being people. Unless that person was from the south, and moved here, they are more than likely not going to speak when spoken too. Now I understand, people are in a rush, or just don't want to be bothered, but it doesn't take much just to acknowledge someone. It’s so easy to nod your head or smile with your eyes. It’s really not that difficult.
I bet you didn't know that here in the Pacific Northwest, most cities began as sundown towns, with deeply racist laws about who could live here. It all started in 1865 when Seattle incorporated. (A sundown town is/was a place where anyone who was non-white could not be there after the sunset; otherwise, they would face harassment and possibly lose their lives.) Because of this, our social groups are small, and our suspicions of strangers are always running in the background, especially among white residents. Seattle and Portland's left-leaning politics are a smokescreen for the illusion of friendship and unity when we often ignore one another. Because of our pathological desire to mind our own business, or our perpetual vitamin D deficiency brought on by bad weather, or both, a lot of us find extroverts exhausting and struggle to maintain friendships if they weren't established when we were children. But I want to be the one who changes that narrative and that is why I speak to as many people as possible.
Just yesterday I was shopping at the grocery store and every person who I made eye contact with, I said hello. More often than not, I got no response, but for me that was fine because I did my part. All I can do is keep being the best version of myself and change the narrative regarding my city. It’s funny because when I attend different functions like a Sync Seattle event or a Cotton 54 event and I am speaking to someone who is not from Seattle, they do not believe I am from Seattle. They tell me that I give off a different vibe because I am friendly, and I speak to almost everyone. All you can do is be the change you want to see in the world. One person at a time we can make our world better and don't forget to say hello! :)
Sending you love, light and positive vibes,
Cassie K.
"Always remember to LIVE life to the fullest, to LAUGH at everything and to LOVE unconditionally!"
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