AIBU to think that geography is not the big differentiator people think on here?

[MasterBeth]

Just seen a post on another thread where someone explains their behaviour at kids parties by saying something like "Of course, I live in a town, not a city, where behaviour is very different."

I also remember someone saying "But then I'm Welsh, and we love our Mams very much "

And people explaining why they leave their front doors unlocked "as I live in a village."

AIBU to think that none of these things are dependent on geography and you can behave at a party, love your mum or leave you door locked or unlocked wherever you live?

People who live in towns have friends. But those friends are drawn from a much larger pool of options. If you fall out with one group of 20 or so people, you have alternative options. In many villages, there’s no other options and that is why conforming becomes more important.

for example, I live in a town, the friends I made on maternity leave were not the same women I saw on the school run when my dcs started school. The people I work with (I work locally) are another completely separate group of people. I go to a book club with 20 members, again completely different to any of the other groups, even though I can walk to meetings. I go to a weekly fitness class, none of the other attendees are from school run, work, book club, mat leave friends. We went to a restaurant in our town last week, it was full, I didn’t recognise anyone else at the other tables. Sometimes there’s cross over, for example 3 of the other mums who are at dcs dance class were school run mums, the others had dcs at different schools yet we all use this dance school. One of my mat leave friends has a dc at the same scouts as mine.

In a smaller community, there aren’t enough people for this, the same women you saw on mat leave will be the ones on the school run, if you have a job locally your colleagues are likely to be parents at the school or related to them. If you go to the local pub/restaurant or join local social clubs or sports clubs, it’ll be the same people attending because there aren’t enough different people.

And in these situations, it’s bloody important to get on with the people who are there if you don’t want to be lonely.

I am not born Cornish, but I have lived in Cornwall for 45 of my 70 years. And I spent a few months in Sheffield at one point. I loved the strength of loyalty to place in both areas.

I think geography matters for some things. I don’t lock my car or my door. Kids leave toys and bikes out on the street , sometimes for days, and I’ll walk through city streets after closing time or through the parks at any time of day or night on my own without fear. I read about others being afraid to leave a door unlocked a couple of hours when their DH forgot keys and is at a friend’s, drinking, while they want to go to bed…that’s ludicrous to me.

House prices vary too. I bought a 4 bedroom 2 bath house for 55k ..would cost triple 30 miles away.

I also think loving mum has nothing to with geography. I detest mine..and it’s why I moved 300 miles away at 18. And still avoid her half a century later.

Intrigued as to where you live @DearDenimEagle