and become anonymous

Well, yes. But that's beside the point.

Perhaps it's the result

Actually it's not as hard as you would think.

Just stop frequenting the "Normal" places you usually go to. Start going to different types of places. Change your appearance, dye your hair, cut it differently or grow it out, get some clear lensed glasses (or use contacts if you need glasses to see) and concentrate on the way you walk, talk and the type of clothing you wear. You would be surprised.

of living in close proximity

as we do here in Western Europe

that the behaviour that your wife so dislikes

is amplified to the extent

that even in larger communities

people are seemingly compulsively messing

around with other peoples lives

I have to say