Oregon, United States, Minor Outlying Islands

Okay, 18 of us out here in the blogosphere think that Oregon is a minor outlying island of the United States. I thought I was being so clever. Oh well.

It does feel like we are a minor place. People overseas rarely knew where Oregon was. I usually said it was north of California, and then they'd ask if I live in Canada. We are a big state without many people. Trees grow like weeds and weeds grow like trees. The dogwood are in bloom and the cougar are returning. I think we'll be safe from the apocalypse here. At least it is safe to drive on the freeway at night.

We are an outlying too. Outlying on that left edge of the continent where tsunamis and earthquakes could strike any time. Outlying in the rain and the sunshine and the biggness of a western sky and great edge of the Pacific ocean. And outlying on the 45th parallel, halfway between the pole and the equator. We lie out here in the glory of our beautiful state and hope that too many others don't notice how good we have it.

And it does seem we are on an island. Separated from so much that happens in the world, insular and insulated from the fray. We rarely make the news and when we do it is usually embarrassing. We did let everyone marry last year, but that was brought quickly to a halt by our more conservative brothers and sisters. It is true, we are a split place. Lots of progressives here in the Williamette Valley but also lots of people holding onto the values of the past. And so we struggle to compromise and keep the faith in the midst of such diversity on this minor outlying island of the United States.