I Am Of Here

Western Fairfax and Eastern Loudoun ... South Riding, Ashburn, Chantilly, Centreville, Sterling ... all are joined in an unholy matrimony of banality, if you believe popular culture.

We live in places so suburban they're almost exurban, so full of cookie-cutter houses and cookie-cutter people that it's a wonder our own lack of individual identity hasn't negated our own existence. That we haven't winked out of the material plane under the weight of our own irrelevance is practically a miracle.

The people to the west and east of us are the truly interesting ones. Either they're good salt-of-the-earth country-living Americans who built this great nation, or they're citified urban intellectuals living lives of empty, wanton excess and cultural stimulation. These are stereotypes, sure, and aren't based in reality so much as collective imagination, but they define a certain prototype American, who we then pit against each other spiritually, politically or morally in the media and our minds. If only the other side were more "in touch" everything would be just fine.

Suburban residents, on the other hand, especially those in this area–who may come in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes from all over the world–are defined by nothing so much as a lack of definition. Any characteristics ascribed to them are dismissed with such terms as "soccer mom" that carry a derisive sneer of condescension, as if loving your kids and engaging them in opportunities for growth is, somehow, undesirable. 

So while those living in the Northern Virginia suburbs are provided with opportunities unavailable to those living almost anywhere else in the world, sandwiched as they are between urban DC, the landed gentry and numerous small towns throughout the state, and surrounded by people from all over the world, a single defining characteristic resonates: Most residents want to seem as if they're from somewhere else; or at least, if they're from here, they aren't "of" here.

Everybody, therefore, divides up.

In this house are the Steelers fans, though they've lived in the area for 20+ years.  Over there we have a self-described "redneck" from wild and woolly Falls Church.  On this side of the street are the Republicans who are ruining this country, right next door to the Democrats who are ruining this country, never mind that they'd find agreement on most things if only people noticed points of non-contention. 

This guy really likes opera while that guy loves NASCAR, and though they grew up on the same street they have "nothing in common."  This one never stops talking about living in New York while that one prattles on about living in Texas–though they've both spent more than a decade here. Every single nonnative person moved here for a reason–but it's the last place on earth they'd ever want to be.

Western Fairfax and Eastern Loudoun; South Riding, Ashburn, Chantilly, Centreville and Sterling; city to the east and country to the west, surrounded by people from all over the world; I moved out this way because it's awesome.