In rural areas, being normal is the highest priority. If you do one thing that's 'weird' that thing will define you in that community for the rest of your life. You'll never escape the weird thing you did. Your life is over.
I immediately achieved a reputation as the nerd who hung out at the Mom&Pop bookstore/coffee shop in town, did computer repair for half the price of the Geek Squad, and shared extremely "weird" ideas about politics with anyone that dared to ask.
Never did lack for business, but folks stopped talking to me about politics after I ranted to the local Republican party chairman that the Tea Party was just a bunch of rich assholes trying to astroturf them into lowering their taxes at everyone else's expense.
I was right, of course, but it was a red county in a red state and nobody around wanted to hear it. XD
Lol, I've lived in rural Ontario which has informed me opinion. I know in places like Alaska or Appalachia they embrace their strangeness, but those are the exceptions.