Surrounded by the Stupids

Don't get me wrong.  There are great people where we live.  We have some of the best neighbors we've ever had .... and I mean The Best.  If we aren't here to haul our empty trashcan back up our driveway after the garbage collector has come by, there is no stopping Best Neighbors from doing it for us.  Last week we were planning to be out of town so I asked if they'd just move it up by our trailer, only a few steps from the road ..... but no .... they took it all the way up to our house.  And there's no talking them out of it.  If we need help with anything, they're here in a flash.  And we try to reciprocate.  

Other neighbors come by unannounced to help clear our driveway after a deep snowfall.  Another neighbor stopped by after it had snowed to check on us because they hadn't seen our car tracks in a couple of days.  Wonderful, caring people.

But unfortunately there are also the Stupids, meaning random brain-dead idiots who either live here or drive in to spread their *joy*.  Public land, where there aren't enough eyes per square mile to keep watch over things, seems to attract them and they take full advantage.  

The Stupids dump or leave their trash, without a thought as to who will have to clean it up.  And I'm not just talking about average litter, but major dumping ..... furniture, cars, used paraphernalia, and the remains of lustful, drunken nights.  Either they're narcissistic, or lazy, or simply scum ..... or all three.  

I have one neighbor whose trash enjoys entangling itself across my property whenever it's windy and the prevailing wind seems to always come from their direction.  I have to go out every few weeks and gather it up, except for the plastic shopping bags stuck in the trees that I cannot reach.  No, I haven't spoken to them yet and yes, I need to.  They also let their dogs roam freely which usually isn't a problem, but it freaks out our dog.  They're somewhat new and needless to say, I dearly miss the sweet neighbor who used to live there who managed to keep her trash and dogs contained.

The Stupids also drive crazily.  Now maybe it's my imagination that it's particularly bad out here, but I am literally more fearful to drive on local highways here than where I used to live where there were more cars!  The accidents here where the roads are less crowded are frequent and inexplicable.  Pulling out in front of a truck in broad daylight in light traffic ..... how do you explain that?  And many of the accidents are fatal. 

I just read on Facebook that the Stupids were out target shooting on local public land and a woman, who was out walking her dog, noticed bullets flying past her and she had to hit the ground and shout that she was there!!  This will probably lead to all shooting on public land being prohibited which means the responsible gun owners will go elsewhere, leaving only the Stupids who don't care about rules or anything else.  Hence, they will win ... again.  

There are rants aplenty in local Facebook groups, but I doubt the Stupids read it, so it's all preaching to the choir.  Sad to say, my opinion of people has declined in the last few years.  I never saw this amount of trash when we lived in the burbs.  I never had to walk along my road to pick up garbage, including multiple whiskey bottles tossed out of cars.  I don't remember seeing so many paint marks on the roads, marking the pattern of the latest crash.  In town, there are too many eyes ready to report anything amiss, so it's not as easy to flaunt stupidity.  

I like living in the country.  I like the privacy and space.  I like the clean air.  I'm grateful I'm not in the city, and the hideous mess that many of them have become.  (Particularly Portland, Oregon, my childhood home.  We recently drove through there on the freeway, and it's a jaw-dropping heartbreak to see what that once beautiful city has become.   That, in my opinion, is the result of the Government Stupids in league with the Street Stupids, while ignoring the good people footing the bill.)  The Stupids ruin it for everyone.  

So I try, between trash cleanups, to not get too angry and focus on the good people.  Like most of our neighbors ..... the people who help keep public land and roads clean and safe.  The people who basically care about others.  ..... the people who aren't stupid.