The Slice: We’re all on this train together

Eastern Washington and North Idaho are different in several ways.

But residents of the two areas definitely have something in common.

Whenever we encounter lists ranking the states in one social category or another, we can safely say, “Well, that’s got little to do with me.”

Because almost any statewide survey is going to be skewed by population distribution. And whether you are talking about Washington or Idaho, the Inland Northwest is not where most of the people are.

This came to mind when I saw a highly suspect ranking of the states’ relative levels of depression/happiness. In this list, Washington was the 35th happiest state, Idaho the 45th. (South Dakota came in first. Utah finished last.)

Not very impressive for the home team. But here’s the thing. To the extent that such a study has any credibility at all — an admittedly doubtful proposition — the results are almost certainly a reflection of Seattle and Boise. Not us.

So if a 1-to-50 list isn’t about something like taxes or salaries for state employees, we can view state rankings with detachment and think, in the words of Bob Dylan, “It ain’t me, babe.”

Of course, in many statistical categories, our areas hurt the two states’ rankings. No sense denying that.

We’re relatively poor and less educated.

This all reminds me of a scene in one of my favorite movies, 1958’s “The Defiant Ones.” There are these two escaped convicts who, until the previous day, had been shackled together. They are trying to get to a railroad track, to hop a freight train. The fugitive played by Tony Curtis is exhausted and hurt. He says he can’t go on. So the convict played by Sidney Poitier holds up his unencumbered arm and says, “C’mon, man, you’re draggin’ on the chain.”

Seattle and Boise might think our area is draggin’ on the chain. But the truth is, there is no chain. And yet, we’re all in this together.

“Slice answer: A reader who lives on the South Hill saw the question about stone-faced people who fail to acknowledge greetings. She told about a former neighbor who did that. She thought there had to be something wrong with him. And she was right.

That former neighbor, Robert Yates, turned out to be a serial killer.

OK, not everyone who ignores a “hello” is a murderer. Some men and women are just rude or oblivious.

But do you really want people wondering which description fits you?

“Today’s Slice question: What does one of your co-workers have displayed at his or her work station that’s supposed to impress everyone?