Thank you for this deeply illuminating piece. It's got my head spinning, in a good way. You kinda chart how forms of pride map to forms of community based on the size/isolation of community.

Reading this, I respect the form of community you describe -- everyone taking care of everyone. I understand how shallow urban / suburban community must look in contrast. I think it's great that the dedicated young men of the town is the source of community pride, versus other less healthy choices. I understand how a small community doesn't want to be disturbed by alien intrusions -- disturbances that could upset the delicate balance achieved.

Given it's election season, your piece makes me think about how our cultural divisions are driven by living in completely different situations. I can only appreciate rural culture at an abstract (but still human) level. At a gut level, rural culture is unrecognizable and incomprehensible to me, since I've lived my whole life in a very different environment. And I can see how my community pride doesn't look like community pride from the outside. It's sad when people stop at their gut understanding and don't cultivate an abstract understanding -- paying attention to the principles rather than the particulars.