The road not taken, by Harry Turtledove.
The story itself is a great example of outside the box thinking that once read, shifted my whole perception on the issue and sends me off in a whole new direction of thinking. I had certainly never considered the possibility of a less advanced race coming to earth. We could be surrounded by alien races that simply have no curiosity about us or are afraid of us.
That's it. Thanks. I'd have never found it again with google. I really mangled it, while keeping the sentiment.