Why are so many folks on this fabulous nook of the nation feeling so blue? Is Seattle actually such a dark place?
A latest U.S. Census Bureau survey discovered that, of the 15 largest American metro areas, Seattle and its neighboring communities had the very best variety of residents who reported being unhappy, depressed or hopeless for at the least a number of days throughout the first two weeks in February — a startling 45.4% of us.
What’s up with that? Certain, we get greater than our share of clouds, rain and darkness in winter, however is it merely a matter of climate? I’ve some doubts about that being the first depressant, contemplating that the second, third and fourth most morose metros on the checklist are all within the Solar Belt: Riverside-San Bernardino, Phoenix and Miami.
One other stunning discovering within the survey is that the happiest of the 15 large cities is Dallas. Actually? I’ve been to Dallas and, due to the absence of any zoning legal guidelines, town appears like one large, sprawling, highway-and-strip-mall-choked suburb on steroids. Worse than that, it’s situated deep within the coronary heart of Texas, the place vigilantes are empowered to chase down girls with undesirable or life-threatening pregnancies and a Trump-appointed federal decide is on the verge of banning abortion tablets in all 50 states. Oh, and their electrical energy grid is held along with extension cords.
The Seattle metro space just isn’t with out flaws. Housing is just too costly and, yeah, there’s a bit of precipitation from time to time, however the normal city issues we’ve are matched or exceeded in lots of different locations. Certain, Miami has solar, however it additionally has hurricanes, alligators and Ron DeSantis. Phoenix has homicidal warmth in the summertime and a water provide that’s evaporating earlier than our eyes. Riverside-San Bernardino? There’s no “there” there.
There may be quite a lot of “there” right here — spectacular mountains, beautiful our bodies of water, world-class city facilities, and, but, almost half of us are sometimes down within the dumps. One demographic issue which may contribute to Seattle’s distinctive moodiness is the upper proportion of younger folks on this space in comparison with different cities. Youthful of us are usually extra angst ridden than their elders, which in all probability explains why Grunge Rock was invented right here and never in a snowbird-infested place like Solar Metropolis or Sarasota.
So, children, it’s time to buck up and placed on a smile. At any time when you feel glum, simply look on the intense aspect: You don’t reside in Texas.
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