^^^^^ according the the Pew Foundation, which overwhelmingly leans left, by the way.

By “weird “ do you actually mean “mentally ill?”

- because more than 50% of liberal white women are mentally ill, and DC voted 96% dem / liberal in the last election in DC.

The vast majority of people you meet in this area have a mental disease.

https://wibc.com/108211/pew-study-white-liberals-disproportionately-suffer-from-mental-illness/

Anonymous wrote:I'm weird. We have polka dot wallpaper inside one of our closets. Sometimes I eat leftover dinner for breakfast. I've been known to sit on the floor to review a document for work because it was easier to concentrate than when in a chair. I don't like sushi. I'll deeply research any topic that interests me whether or not it affects my life, just because it struck my fancy.

I don't care what kind of car you drive as long as it's clean. I don't buy things unless what I currently have is worn out - don't care what's currently in style.

I like being weird - the open-minded people always eventually find me, and those are the people I wind up having the most fun with.

Is this really weird? Sounds totally normal to me. I don’t mind getting on the floor. I don’t love the chair situation at my job. I’m supposed to order a new chair but I haven’t gotten around to it.

What else would one do with leftover dinner? I dislike the idea of breakfast foods being only for breakfast and no dinner foods being allowed for breakfast. I love leftovers, and usually eat them cold or at room temperature, any time of day. I’m allergic to shellfish so I can’t eat most sushi, but I would eat some of it if I could.

I can’t tell cars apart very well. I’m pretty good at colors of cars, but sometimes it’s hard to tell when it’s bright out and I don’t have my sunglasses, so I don’t try too hard. I don’t care enough about cars to care what someone drives.

I have adhd so I totally hyperfocus on interesting subjects until I get tired of them. I’ll read about it, watch documentaries, do what I can to learn about it until I get bored or until something else steals my attention.

Doesn’t everyone do most of those things, or at least find their own way of reaching the goals we’re reaching for? Eating things they like when they have a craving even if it’s a nontraditional time, or sitting in an unusual place if it’s the most comfortable option? Learning about things they like and dismissing the subjects that don’t interest them? I mean, I know I’m kinda weird but I thought these were some of my more normal features. Crap. Maybe I’m weirder than I thought.

Haven’t found any if this to be the case in any neighborhood I’ve lived in the DMV. Friendly neighbors. Friendly people at my gym. Friendly parents at kids’ games and school.

Maybe it’s what you put out into the world…it’s what you get back.0

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I talk to strangers and smile at people... who think I'm weird

Apparently this sort of behavior isn’t allowed in the dc metro area. You are supposed to avoid eye contact and remain silent. So weird.

My kid goes to school in the south and it’s striking how friendly people are.

DC is extremely risk-averse.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I talk to strangers and smile at people... who think I'm weird

Apparently this sort of behavior isn’t allowed in the dc metro area. You are supposed to avoid eye contact and remain silent. So weird.

My kid goes to school in the south and it’s striking how friendly people are.

This rings true. School pickup everyone looks straight ahead or at their phones. If I catch someone's eye and smile or wave hi I feel like they think I'm trying too hard or bothering them somehow.

I have a school pickup hobby. I live on the west coast in a kind of transient area. At the start of the school year I pick out the relocated Midwesterners and NYers by saying hi at pickup. 100% of people who say hi back and smile and engage in conversation are from the Midwest or NYC. Everyone else does the panic blink while they remember how to say hi back.

I live in San Francisco and have not found this to be true at all. Most everyone at my child's schools have been friendly, regardless of whether they're from the Bay Area, the Midwest, somewhere in Europe, the East Coast, the Far East, etc.

Lol. I don’t live in San Francisco. But I will say that people from there say hi back…and announce they’re from the Bay Area even if they’re from Stockton, and then promptly spend the rest of the year trying to suss out who has the most money and social capital in the least subtle way ever.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I talk to strangers and smile at people... who think I'm weird

Apparently this sort of behavior isn’t allowed in the dc metro area. You are supposed to avoid eye contact and remain silent. So weird.

My kid goes to school in the south and it’s striking how friendly people are.

This rings true. School pickup everyone looks straight ahead or at their phones. If I catch someone's eye and smile or wave hi I feel like they think I'm trying too hard or bothering them somehow.

I have a school pickup hobby. I live on the west coast in a kind of transient area. At the start of the school year I pick out the relocated Midwesterners and NYers by saying hi at pickup. 100% of people who say hi back and smile and engage in conversation are from the Midwest or NYC. Everyone else does the panic blink while they remember how to say hi back.

I live in San Francisco and have not found this to be true at all. Most everyone at my child's schools have been friendly, regardless of whether they're from the Bay Area, the Midwest, somewhere in Europe, the East Coast, the Far East, etc.

Far East, really??? I haven’t found this in the Bay area.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I talk to strangers and smile at people... who think I'm weird

Apparently this sort of behavior isn’t allowed in the dc metro area. You are supposed to avoid eye contact and remain silent. So weird.

My kid goes to school in the south and it’s striking how friendly people are.

This rings true. School pickup everyone looks straight ahead or at their phones. If I catch someone's eye and smile or wave hi I feel like they think I'm trying too hard or bothering them somehow.

I have a school pickup hobby. I live on the west coast in a kind of transient area. At the start of the school year I pick out the relocated Midwesterners and NYers by saying hi at pickup. 100% of people who say hi back and smile and engage in conversation are from the Midwest or NYC.

Everyone else does the panic blink while they remember how to say hi back.

Are you in Seattle or Portland?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are adults (especially parents) so weird!? I am an adult and parent. I find this group of people to be uptight, make life unnecessarily difficult. They are so worried about being….I don’t even know what….they’re just so busy trying to be relevant / in the know or whatever non-sense they create unpleasantness. It’s very sad.

PSA: RELAX people. Life is short. You can talk to whomever you please. You can wear what you want. You can take the subway. You can just be. AND, more importantly, let other people be. Go ahead, try having an original thought. Talk to a stranger. Smile for goodness sakes.

We are weird in our own ways … weird can be very positive when it relates to be non conforming in loving ways - I think you are talking about being fearful and controlling - yeah can’t control other people’s choices …

Seems like NPR is pushing fearful and unable to control / being a victim 24/7. Post has become the same way.

Anonymous wrote:Why are adults (especially parents) so weird!? I am an adult and parent. I find this group of people to be uptight, make life unnecessarily difficult. They are so worried about being….I don’t even know what….they’re just so busy trying to be relevant / in the know or whatever non-sense they create unpleasantness. It’s very sad.

PSA: RELAX people. Life is short. You can talk to whomever you please. You can wear what you want. You can take the subway. You can just be. AND, more importantly, let other people be. Go ahead, try having an original thought. Talk to a stranger. Smile for goodness sakes.

We are weird in our own ways … weird can be very positive when it relates to be non conforming in loving ways - I think you are talking about being fearful and controlling - yeah can’t control other people’s choices …

Anonymous wrote:It’s the DC area, OP. It’s mind-blowing how socially inept so many people are.

OP here. I am constantly taken aback by the social ineptitude. I always internalize things so when others don’t reciprocate greetings, or don’t welcome you properly (if at all) when you show up to social gatherings they invited you to, it stings. I try to make others feel welcome by making eye contact. Pulling them into conversations, you know, acknowledging their existence. Because I know how sucky it feels when I am not acknowledged so why would I ever want to make someone else feel that way? Once you have experienced something, whether good or bad, you should use that knowledge gained to help others in some way. That’s the only way things will get better for all of us.

Anonymous wrote:It’s the DC area, OP. It’s mind-blowing how socially inept so many people are.

Most are not from DC area and many are here temporarily - perhaps that's why?

It’s the DC area, OP. It’s mind-blowing how socially inept so many people are.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I talk to strangers and smile at people... who think I'm weird

Apparently this sort of behavior isn’t allowed in the dc metro area. You are supposed to avoid eye contact and remain silent. So weird.

My kid goes to school in the south and it’s striking how friendly people are.

This rings true. School pickup everyone looks straight ahead or at their phones. If I catch someone's eye and smile or wave hi I feel like they think I'm trying too hard or bothering them somehow.

I have a school pickup hobby. I live on the west coast in a kind of transient area. At the start of the school year I pick out the relocated Midwesterners and NYers by saying hi at pickup. 100% of people who say hi back and smile and engage in conversation are from the Midwest or NYC. Everyone else does the panic blink while they remember how to say hi back.

I live in San Francisco and have not found this to be true at all. Most everyone at my child's schools have been friendly, regardless of whether they're from the Bay Area, the Midwest, somewhere in Europe, the East Coast, the Far East, etc.

Well this thread is full of judgy individuals!

I am a friendly but weird person. I have many friends, left and right. I find it is best not to judge people by their looks or politics.

I am always smiling, but my 2 best friends totally have RBF. They are from completely opposite sides of the political aisle.

They are terrific and they don’t care that I buy my clothes at Walmart, that I am a complete nerd, and that we have some very different interests, beliefs, and socioeconomic positions. We are there for each other.

There are really wonderful people from all walks of life, find them and surround yourself with them.