There are are a lot of negative stereotypes of people who live in rural areas. In some cases it’s deserved but, as with any stereotype, there are so many exceptions. I live in a pretty remote area yet grew up in Boston & Montréal, have a master’s degree from an Ivy League university, follow world and national news closely, have traveled extensively, and am centre-left in my politics. I love visiting cities and would like to spend more time in cities when I have time but could never live in one full time ever again because of the noise, pollution, crime, expense, and pretense. I may have chosen to be a gardener and lumberjack but, godamnit, I’m a sophisticated gardener and lumberjack. 😂
MATTHEW'S ISLAND 
As if the people living in large towns were all about classy-smart, when so many of them actually suffer from limited – if not really low – general knowledge/culture.
Has any dumb dared calling you a hick recently? If so they most certainly do not know a thing about you.
Now enjoy your weekend!
No, no one called me a hick. But this summer I was invited over to have some drinks and watch some fireworks at the house of a wealthy client who I’ve known all my life and used to play with when we were kids. He had invited others as well, including the new wife of my wealthiest client who I just do work for but do not know socially and who does not know anything about my background other than that I groom her new husband’s estate. When she arrived at the party she said, quite loudly so even I heard, “who invited HIM to this party?!” as in “who invited the help”. I glared at her. It was a little comfort knowing that their estate is right on the ocean and barely above sea level so it will all be under water thanks to climate change soon enough while my house perched on top of a hill will be high and dry. Eat the rich.
*Sigh*
I imagine that she’s the kind of pretty person whose neurons are not performant enough to make her realize that she wasn’t among the guest for her personal value but only because she had been acquired and married by a wealthy man…
* End Sigh*
and have exquisite taste in photographs 🙂
Yeah, I realize her comment reflects way more on her than it does on me. She’s new around here and does not know my background (been here all my life either as a summer resident or a year-round resident, grew up in an upper middle class family, have fancier degrees from better universities than she does, did millions of dollars of community & economic development projects in the area, and now am happily just a
gardener & lumberjack). However, her snobbery has been duly noted. And the fact that she does not realize all humans are equal is a sad reflection on her upbringing and values.