Seattle and Openness

As I've lived here in Seattle for almost a year now I'm still struck at hoe both open and closed the city can be -- at the same time.On one hand you have a city with a know affliction called the "Seattle Freeze." It's the general notion that it's hard to make friends here. On the other hand you can start talking to anyone and they typically won't look at you like you're crazy.Then, on a completely different dimension, you have a city that is so sex positive. The city, more or less as a rule, doesn't seem to be squicked by the thought that people might be having sex. Just today, for instance, I had to pick up a book for En. She's going to a bachelorette party tomorrow and she didn't have the time to pick it up herself. All I had to do was walk down (well, up) to Capitol Hill and pop into Babeland over lunch to pick up a bawdy book. This place isn't hidden at all. It's hot pink. And clean. And classy. We have the annual gay pride parade, which has expanded to be something more of a sex-positive parade with lots of organizations marching -- lots of groups that are just in the community, open, and no one cares.It's an interesting mix.No one wants to talk to anyone, but people aren't afraid to get talked to. People generally don't talk about sexuality, but it's out there and no one seems to mind.Go figure.