The gorgeous arc en ciel photo above was taken by my AirBnb hostess a few days ago after heavy rain pounded Eastbourne for several hours. It's very symbolic of what this place means to me. I've been here almost a month now and I see rainbows everywhere--not always literal ones, but constant reminders that dreary times are temporary and storms never last.
Almost everything about this coast of England is picturesque. From the massive chalk cliffs at Beachy Head to the stunning old architecture still in place here to the English Channel itself, photo opportunities are everywhere.
Even a heavy shock of vine growing down over an old rock wall in the back alley between buildings is interesting, definitely not something one sees every day in the U.S.
I've spent some time pondering the differences between this region and other parts of the UK, and most certainly the differences between here and the U.S. I've noticed a great respect in Eastbourne for "way of life," not the clannish, hostile, almost occult attitudes of Central Appalachia but a true reverence for the spirit of this land. Outsiders are not only welcomed but embraced, yet core community values remain strong, defiant of crass, commercial influence and undiluted by gratuitous tolerance.
One example that I've noted, as I mention in the video below, is the nearly complete absence of trash. Everything is clean, even the buses. For me, this begs the question: what motivates a society to take pride in its environment? Why do people here respect each other and respect boundaries and respect social conventions, when an equal demographic in other parts of the world remains buried under litter (Appalachia) or poisoned by toxic pollution(Delhi?)
My crusade is animal welfare, not environmental issues like littering, pollution, or even climate change. Still, I can't help but draw a parallel between exhibited behaviors--Central Appalachia is buried under tons of discarded trash and has some of the most poorly run high kill municipal shelters in the nation, versus a spotless city in the UK where dogs are welcome almost everywhere and no need for a kill shelter even exists. I think at the heart of the matter is repressed versus heightened conciousness, a community with no vision versus a mindset of progress. The scope is much broader than these observations, but once broken down from the sum of its parts, the overall concept is filled with repeating patterns that bear further study.
As for me, I'm just glad my rescue @tarc got as many animals out of Central Appalachia as we did. You can see three of them in the video below, romping around me as I talk about Eastbourne--Paige, Tori, and Milo, three litlle hillbilly dogs who will never have to worry about kill shelters again. Give it a watch; it's only about eight minutes long.
What a contrast, the world you were a part of then, and that which you experience now. I appreciate your observations about the respect given to the environment and the welfare of animals. So glad you're able to be where you are, and that three of the dogs you've saved have made it all this way to share your freedom.
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That's a great explanation. and your friend is a good photographer.
First rainbow was awesome.
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Thank you! I'll pass along the compliment to her. :-)
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