Tranquil and Peaceful Island life

Sometimes the view isn't so clear....

There is a mythology that people have about Vashon...that is it peaceful & tranquil.  The idea that all your neighbors are nice, all people are watching out for each other, and that kindness abounds is no more true here than it is anywhere.

In fact, when you have relationships with people you don't like here (aka enemies) you are more likely to run into them here than you are in a larger and more cosmopolitan area.  My partner was recently accosted by a former (and probably mentally ill) landlord.  My anxiety skyrocketed when I saw a former employee who I had to "let go" at the park today....all in all it's not perfect.

The reality is that life can be wonderful wherever you are....and life can be miserable wherever you are...and for most if it life is in the middle!

On a greater scale the dysfunction of non-profits, businesses, and other things are more present, simply because in a small town one possesses a greater awareness of their surroundings.

On the other hand the care that neighbors possess for one another reveals itself to a greater degree here on the Island.  On Vashon you wave at your neighbors, you learn the faces of grocery store employees, you trust that you would find each other in the case of an emergency.  All in all though  I think that this is the case in cities as well...we just aren't as aware of it.

What do you think?