Living in a Vacuum

Ever since 1990, I have lived in the Tennessee Valley of East TN (which to locals might seem redundant) and have only visited larger cities to work.  East TN is not like the rest of the country and certainly not like Atlanta, New York City, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco,  Seattle, Denver, or Portland which has been in the news lately with all its riots and demonstrations.
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East TN is not plagued with:

1. city ghettos
2. drug related crimes
3. daily shoots
4. street gangs
5. street violence
6. crowds of people 
7. waiting lines
8. bumper to bumper traffic
9. extortion for protection
10. subway transportation
11. pollution
12. international visitors

 

East TN is somewhat like living in the suburbs just outside of these large cities, but even that is not an accurate description.  First of all, the Tennessee Valley lies between the Great Smokey Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau, giving us moderate weather all year long.  We have hundreds, perhaps thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of land that is not bothered with houses, shopping centers, or even marred by farming.  We can look off in the distance and see the fog in the mountain ranges in the fall and sometimes in the summer.

WE HAVE FRESH AIR AND MINIMAL POLLUTION FROM FACTORIES...

If there is a downside to living here it is having to deal with the HALFBACKS.  Halfbacks are northerners who moved to Florida and because of the humidity of Florida decided to move half way back which puts them in the TN Valley.

We do not have all the restaurants, plays, and musicals that one may find in New York City nor do we have celebrities walking our country streets...

BUT, it is 15-21% cheaper to live here (depending on location) than anywhere else in the USA.  I can get a perfectly cooked SALMON dinner with wild rice and broccoli for under $12 not including tax.  And, speaking of taxes, we have no State Income Tax.  Every time I go out for dinner, I am served so much that I get a doggy bag that is enough for another meal the next day.

The only news I know is what I see on FOX NEWS and I watch FOX NEWS because the other stations do not present ALL THE NEWS...  and, I have made a comparison so that is not speculation.

So, one could say that I am living in a vacuum and will never experience what the rest of Americans are experiencing, especially in the big cities...  Personally, I like living in a vacuum.