glenfiddich
TravelsWithBarley.com
One thing I've not seen mentioned is that places often morph. Case in point: I enjoyed growing up in San Diego CA (pop 120,000), but after a decade in the military I returned to find it completely different. It wasn't just that it had tripled in size (and new residents were continuing to flock to the place) but that in absorbing so many people from other places so quickly it had lost its personality. It was if Alexis de Tocqueville's prophecy that democracy would fail when every man became a castle unto himself (paraphrased) was coming true.
And to be fair I had morphed as well. Being raised in southern Cal and never having been anywhere else I had inherited my stepfather's beliefs that Southerners were slow, New Englanders were arrogant, etc. But the Marine Corps is a meritocracy, and I found that there are all sorts hailing from different parts of the country, that painting with a broad brush hurt nobody but yourself. You learn to accept folks on their merits. That lesson has helped me keep my eyes and ears open to meeting people of all types, and as a result Barley and I have met some wonderful and fascinating people everywhere we've been.
And to be fair I had morphed as well. Being raised in southern Cal and never having been anywhere else I had inherited my stepfather's beliefs that Southerners were slow, New Englanders were arrogant, etc. But the Marine Corps is a meritocracy, and I found that there are all sorts hailing from different parts of the country, that painting with a broad brush hurt nobody but yourself. You learn to accept folks on their merits. That lesson has helped me keep my eyes and ears open to meeting people of all types, and as a result Barley and I have met some wonderful and fascinating people everywhere we've been.
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