Not a lot of people really understand what a blessing it is to have running water, electricity, convenience of nearby shopping, restaurants and other modern life amenities. However, all of these things come with a price – let’s examine everything in a bit more detail:
In order to live in the city, you need a job. You might or might not like your job but either way, you must have it. To get to your job you need a functional vehicle. It has to be reliable and in order for it to be reliable, it needs to be maintained. Maintaining it costs money. In addition, the newer the vehicle is, the better it is but unless you paid for it in cash, you are likely owing money on it. Then comes the issue of traffic – most of us spend a few hours a day trying to get from home to work and back.
What about housing? It is pretty unlikely that you built your own home when you moved to the city, chances are very high that you purchased it from a builder new or from a previous owner used. Unless you are in the 10% of the wealthy population, most likely you borrowed money from the bank to buy this house. So, now you already owe money for a car and a house – the job is a must.
What about food? Most likely (and probably because of your job), you don’t have the time to grow your own food. This means buying food in the grocery store, food that you don’t know anything about! Where was it grown? How far was it shipped to be sold in your area? How much carbon was spent in the process? What pesticides and chemicals have been used on it to make it appear healthy? This is all assuming you are buying basic ingredients and cooking your meals at home. Sure, there are organic stores but organic food costs money (need a bigger job!) and most of it is still shipped in from far away. Most likely (because of that pesky job and the time you spend in traffic getting to it and back), you don’t have the time to cook anyways and you are eating processed food. How many people bother to read the labels to see what is in their food? Not many, who has the time and the energy after working all day and driving in that traffic?
So, when you finally get home, you like most Americans eat your processed dinner and then watch TV or browse the Internet.
Most of us city people invariably end up in the Dr.’s office after a lifestyle like the above: not much exercise, tainted food supply, sedentery lifestyle and the constant threat of having to have a job we don’t like in order to pay back the bank. It is no wonder that the stress and the lifestyle combined take a toll – who profits at the end? Pharmaceutical industry and the health care providers, that’s who! There is a pill to put you to sleep, to wake you up, to keep you going to the bathroom and to keep you from going to the bathroom! There is a pill for blood pressure, cholesterol, weight loss etc. Then there are vitamin supplements. Pill after pill after pill, they all pile up. Granted, they might make you live longer but they also might kill you.
Why live a rural lifestyle? First off, you won’t have much since there will be no fancy job. There will be no luxury, no fancy restaurants, no 200+ channels of TV to keep you blissfully dumb and dumber. But, there will be no stress, no polution, you will grow your own food, maybe ride your own horse, breathe clean air and move around all day long. Most likely, you will never need a cholesterol lowering pill, blood pressure lowering pill, an anti-depressant or a pill to help you fall asleep. All you need is to work for your everyday survival, be happy with it, have no bank breathing down your neck for the monthly mortgage, forget about the traffic rush and inconsiderate drivers. Your stress will be lower, you will eat basic foods that you have grown and know are healthy, you will be outside all day exercising (even though it is not formally exercise), breathing clean air and having a clear understanding of what life is about. Then, my friend, and only then, you will achieve true peace and will need no Doctor to tell you how you feel.
ognen@gocountryrural.com