I’ve spent most of my life stuck in a temperate climate land locked state. The climate is the thing I like least, I’ve gone hotter, and I’ve gone colder. I’ve gone dryer, but I have not found a more moist climate. It’s so humid I can break a sweat from sweeping my kitchen floor…. and have.
look, politically it also isn’t pleasant, but I suspect that would be easier to deal with if the climate wasn’t as it is. I just like the honest brutality of the desert for example, be it arctic or hot, it wants you to die, and you don’t have to work that hard to go if you feel like it. That’s the kind of climate humans have historically done well in, places with winter especially.
We get this sort of half assed winter. Enough hard freezes that you can’t keep many plants alive…. but warm enough that you can walk ten miles in a tshirt and shorts…. in January, our coldest month because the freezes actually occur over multiple days, rarely with any precipitation because that would be enjoyable, no it’s just cold and miserable, then hot and miserable, back and forth through our whole September to April farce.
All the people I grew up with moved to interesting climates, with exciting economies and a stunning lack of conservatives. I think conservatives see a sucky climate and think; “Now here’s a place that gets it. Life is a numb slog until you die, and we’ll make a profit off you in the meantime.”
I’m just saying; it isn’t called suicide if it is succumbing to the elements…. ALSO places with harsh climates can’t get away with letting people die, because they must admit that the climate will kill the homeless. It feels like the rest of the country just ships the homeless here, like they’re handing out bus tickets; “Hey, how would you like to move someplace with plentiful meth and fentanyl, where the climate won’t kill you, and also you can be homeless all 365 days a year? Hmm, what if I told you that the education system is so lackluster it will never reform? Still a no go? The cost of living is low though, because sane people won’t live there….. AND you can kill people and never get caught… I’m saying, lower midwest career criminal paradise”
Meanwhile anyone reasonably competent is given the reverse pitch; “look, we need you to live PAST 45, and that isn’t likely to happen in that hellhole.”
I guess I should be grateful, because our political system does aptly admit that it thinks people such as I are a drag on the system, if we die they have succeeded. Else why all the meth and fentanyl? Are we part of some sort of horrible market testing? maybe….
But if you live someplace where there is even a PRETENSE that ordinary people are worth saving, I want to hear about it, and why it sucks if you don’t mind. Somehow I’ve got to make this place tolerable, and the only way is by making any other option sound worse.
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You brought up some really interesting points. Not long ago I saw a study that showed suicide increases significantly as temperatures do. The study warned that another collateral damage of climate change is that suicides will increase around the world.
Another point is the increased suicide rates in conservative-run states, like by a huge margin. On that point my assumption is it comes down to how easy it is to get a gun… so essentially the conservatives have more reliable suicide options.
Who knows. But the bottom line is if you live in a hot, landlocked state under Republican control, then statistically you’re in the red zone. I’ve lived all over the country and been suicidal everywhere so I dunno if the statistics apply to me because I seem to be screwed anywhere. But fwiw I was the calmest on the northwest coast Washington State. Very mild climate and tons of coastline. Whales and forests and pretty stuff to look at. I think the sight of water does have a certain calming effect. So I think you’re onto something regarding the harsh/unforgiving nature of the desert.
Have you ever taken extended trips or vacations to coastal or cooler areas, and does that affect your depression any?
Suicide rates are highest in Alaska but I think that’s more about isolation than anything else.
Wouldn’t it be funny if the cure for depression was as easy as moving to a cooler climate without a homeless/drug/crime problem. I’d be on the first bus to Connecticut lol
I’ve been to much colder places, loved it every time. The best place I’ve ever been is Colorado, skiing, hiking, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, and some very interesting flora and fauna.. sadly it has rapidly become the second most expensive state in the country to live in. I’ve thought about going south, New Mexico is quite pleasant, also a swing/blue state with similar demographics to where I am now.
Interestingly last time I went to Colorado I read that high altitude has some correlation with depression and suicide…. I can’t imagine wanting to die if you can afford to live there.
I’ve been to Massachusetts, Maine, and New York… New York was a little crowded for my taste, but the rest was nice. Originally my escape route was going to be grad school, I applied to schools in Colorado, Michigan and Wisconsin, and one in north California. Nothing came of it.
I actually have a job oppertunity in Washington state, but haven’t gotten any feedback on it… pretty standard for the modern job market, this whole worker shortage is clearly a joke to play on people without secure employment.
The guns are definitely one thing, we’re always having gun shows, and there is an exception in the gun purchase laws that allows people to buy them at gun shows with no oversight… which you can then flip and sell for twice that on the criminal market….
Conservative states, they are a fine place to be a criminal…. not to be honest though.
I had the misfortune to work directly for the state, and discovered that the reason mental healthcare is so unimportant is so that bright rich young people can create “charities” with nearly no oversight, it is yet another unscrupulous way to become a millionaire around here.
Maybe someday I’ll get out, really I think getting away from the bad memories would be a big help on the mental health front. I’ve seen awful things here, and though I’m sure they happen elsewhere, I would now know better than to go looking for it.