Rural America
By Jim Palmer Jr.

 I recently returned to my home town in Eastern Oregon for a visit. It’s the place where I spent most of my childhood and youth, so I have a lot of fond memories and connections there. I got off the fast paced four-lane freeway near Baker City and headed down the slower moving two-lane road that winds through the Powder River Canyon for about 60 miles. That physical change of pace foreshadowed the change of emotional and social change of pace I was about to experience as I transitioned from my busy lifestyle into something slower and completely different.

It was then that I noticed something that brought a big smile to my face. From that highway junction in Baker City, virtually every driver that I came across who was headed in the opposite direction, waved to me as they went by. It was as if they knew who I was. These were robust and obvious friendly hand gestures, like a princess on a parade float, real hand waves, not just a movement of the finger or a nod of the head. Of course they were not waving because they recognized me, they were just being friendly. By the time I got to my destination in the beautiful green valley situated at the foot of the majestic Wallowa Mountains, I was nearly worn out from all of that waving (not really), but I was happy. I was happy to be home among folks who value unity, inclusion and yes, even diversity.

Folks living in rural America seem to have a ton of enemies in cities where enmity abounds and urbanites seem gleeful to attach names with prejudice to those “ignorant rednecks” living in rural areas. That shameful and bigoted practice seems ironic to me, since their confident (mostly erroneous) perceptions of the backwardness and ignorance of rural peoples and the distain for their seemingly simpler lifestyle, is ignorance personified.

After relaxing in the mountains for week, I returned to my rural home in Washington State, and while traveling to work that next day, decided to practice what I had experienced. I waived at the next car that passed by. A hesitant wave was the response and a surprised look from the other driver as we made eye contact while passing along the narrow country road. “Not quite like my old home, but it works!” I thought to myself. I love living and working in rural America!