Montana isn't called big sky country for nothing. It's a beautifully open land, with snow topped mountains just over yonder. People out there in the Inland Pacific Northwest are different; people are different out west in general. Time moves slower, or at least the people do. And it's not considered a bad thing, or a generalized lack of urgency. There's no need to rush, because people do believe that the pieces will in time fit together, when they're supposed to, in time.
I finished reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance out west. And surrounded entirely by raw, natural beauty, I debated quality of both form and function. I was reminded that being polite should never be confused with putting on a smiley face. True courtesy requires kindness that can't be faked.
Raw and honest. Beyond School of Knowledge snobbery and well past the perfectly manicured lawns, there are still people living with their environment to get by.
Without breaking into a rousing chorus of the Dixie Chicks song Wide Open Spaces, there are nice lessons we can bring back east. First, not everything is a fire drill--better solutions often materialize for people who allow time for ideas to brew. Second, true kindness is actually easier than being polite--you don't need to fake it. Third, and final for now, beauty is everywhere, raw and honest.
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