Just got back from one of the local bars (trying to get a job). And, while walking there, it hits me. Well, not so much as that, but I spent a few minuits thinking about it.

This is a company town. The only reason it exists, is the factory. Without the factory, it would quickly shrivel up and die.

It's all rather odd when you think about it. The town has less than 500 people in it (according to the survey). And, everybody knows everybody. If I walk down the street at 4:00am, and somebody happens to see me, they tell everybody. The next day, most everybody knows. It's rather annoying. You can't go to a resturant to meet new people, thier is no such thing here. And, if you do happen to stumble in uppon the one resturant, and nobody knows you...don't expect good service. Or, if they happen to not like you, don't expect good service either.

If you look inportant enough, they will probably decide to be civil with you, but if you look like somebody they don't want to deal with, you may even be refused service. I remember one time when a black man walked into one of the bars...it was not a pretty sight.

But, in this scene, I'm stuck here. At least I have ok standing in this town. Not good standing, but not bad. As if I was some sort of mongrel that runs around, and everybody pets it once in a while, but nobody realy cares much about.

My parents have lived in this town for many years, but are still outcasts. As far as everybody else in town is concerned, they are still newcomers, and should be treated as such. They think this, because my faimly hasn't bee here for 3 gernerations, like everybody else has.

Aside from that, the townspeople are afraid of my faimly. We don't bother trying to fit in (my sister does a bit). We just do what we need to, and don't worry about what everyone else is going to think about it. They are also afraid, because we know things, now when I say we know things, I mean that everybody is highly skilled. My mother is an enginer (she invents machines for the factory), my father is a craftsman (realy amazing woodworking, can put up a building in only a couple of days (with little help)). I'm only going to talk about them, because here it is quite often more inportant who your parents are.

Other towns I've lived in have been quite similar, but not as extreme as this one. The population is so small that this kind of thing can go one, and actualy be city wide.

I wonder why I live here with all these strange things. But the truth of the matter is, it is the kind of thing that happens no matter where you go. Everyplace is the same, just the scenery is diffrent.

Assuming I get a job at one of the local bars, I will stay for a while. I realy can't go anywhere with no legal means of transpertation.

But, I'm working on getting that changed, I need to be able to drive. If nothing else, to fullfill a promise I made. It's very inportant to fullfill that sort of thing. I would feel terible if I had to say I couldn't do it. But, no matter what happens, I will find a way to make it happen. Just have to.

EOF