That's me - I grew up in the country, and have lived almost all my adult life in the city, feeling faintly lost. I never really spotted that until a few days ago. I've certainly been aware of my various complaints about people here: they don't have time for each other, they look alarmed when I say "Hello!" as I cycle cheerily past, you don't get everyone all congregating in the same pub. (Actually there was one time when I greeted someone as I was cycling along the canal and he was so startled he almost fell in.) But so far I've just seen that as everyone else's shortcomings.
What I've just realised is that I've actually resented all my fellow city dwellers for not being identical to the inhabitants of the village I grew up in. It seems very silly, but then that's how it is with those things that sit in the background of our lives. Of course, now that I'm plucking up the courage actually to speak to the people in my neighborhood, it turns out they're very willing to chat. Not so different after all then.
Another thing that on reflection seems pretty daft is that I'm surprised.
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