small town psychos?

the thing with living in middle america is that this small town more than any other seems to have more than its fair share of hobos, weirdos, alckies, dopies and other assorted "one banana short of a dozen" people.. and of course, most of them love to hang out at the small excuse for a train stop we have!

Ayer, MA is only a tiny town, barely six thousand odd people in it, a three-block main street flanked on both sides by the only two bars in town.. it's the kind of place where you live for a year and you know almost everyone and everyone knows you..

the part that i don't get is just the sheer numbers of oddballs here.. i know at least ten by sight.. must be another hundred lurking about under the eaves of the old houses, and another hundred skulking about behind the gas station.. don't get me wrong, i don't have anything against deadbeats and people shunned by society - they often make great company waiting for the train.. it's the sheer numbers for a small town this size that gets me.

for the most part they seem to be non-violent, but the cops have been cracking down on them the last couple of weeks.. hope things work out for Stumblin' Eddie and 'Buy Me A Beer' Beth, and all their friends!