The Rural Thread

[gardentuber]

I've noted a few other rural living guys out there (there must be some gals as well... don't want to exclude anyone!)

 

I'm not certain what I want to discuss... there's so much that's different about living away from the bustle of urban or suburban locations. Personally, I've never thrived living in urban/suburban situations. I feel overwhelmed. I just want to hear about other's thoughts.

 

Rural benefits include: quiet, space, running space for the dog(s), helpful neighbors, beauty, appreciation of the natural surroundings (weather, seasons, plants, animals).

 

Rural detriments include: loneliness, isolation, lack of local authorities and the safety they provide, the expense of driving everywhere.

 

This post is a pretty random, diffuse. Any responses? Any thoughts?

[Daisy]

I've lived in the countryside while I was growing up. I'm in the suburbs atm, and have lived in medium cities too.

 

the neighbours weren't all that helpful. some were. some were downright crazy.

 

with no car as a young teenager it was pretty isolating. we were reliant on our parents and they were often at work.

 

but I did love playing outside and we got up to allsorts. and we had horses and lots of land to let them go out. that was the good side.

 

and it's very pretty.

 

I want to live in the city now though, I want choices and more things to do and people to meet.

 

some of the people in the country were pretty messed up. and I suppose in america you could call some of them hics?

and when I go back you kind of have to wonder about some of them, they haven't seen anything, and they are stuck there with poor education and poor opportunities surrounded by people who have such weird opinions, and well look awful and are messed up, drugs, alcohol etc etc? in surroundings which are so rundown, but that's all they've known.

 

I'm not saying all the countryside is like that; just that is my impression of going back not so long ago. some of them are trapped.

 

there are definitely great things to the countryside, I can definitely see why you love it.

 

 

---ohhh the lambs, and the daffodils. and the snow (at times).

 

- would say trying to dodge the bull on the walk from the school bus to home wasn't pleasant though.

Edited October 20, 2009 by Smarties

[Tiger]

I have lived on a farm before, two of them. I lived in a town of about 1,400 (the same one twice). I also lived in another town close to it with between 700 and 800. Those towns were both in Kansas. I also lived another town of similar size (700-800) in southeast Missouri for almost two years. I've spent several years (probably more than anywhere else) in western Missouri with a little over 200 people. So I have lived in rural areas. It is safe to say that I do not know. I know live 30 miles or so from downtown Dallas, which is the center of a metro area with over 6 million inhabitants. So I've lived in a variety of different places. I was also born in Kansas City, Missouri, which is certainly not rural.

[Cia]

I was born in a large city on the east coast. I grew up, however, in a small town (800) on the west coast and then spent my teen summers in a burb around Washington DC. Now I live outside a medium city in the Pacific NW. I have to say that I think as an adult with the hunting/fishing/camping hobbies we have, the country would be ideal. Unfortunately we will never get to move back. The only things to do as a kid was to drink, do drugs and other nebulous activities. I want my kids to have positive activities and outlets close by so I am pretty sure we will stick by the city. After all, the country is only an hour and a half away.

[TetRefine]

Well, living now in a pretty rural area, I can say, in my opinion, that the benefits of urban areas outweigh those of the rural areas. In urban areas you get everything: culture, sports, diversity, excitement, etc. You dont really get that in a rural area. Also, people tend to be more accepting of differences in urban places where in rural places, most people tend to be ignorant because they haven't experienced the rest of the world. I plan on moving somewhere big and exciting because small town life bores the hell out of me. But don't get me wrong, I woulnd't mind coming back for the occassional hunting trip or snowmobiling, but thats all it would be: a visit. Just my $0.02.

[Daisy]

Well, living now in a pretty rural area, I can say, in my opinion, that the benefits of urban areas outweigh those of the rural areas. In urban areas you get everything: culture, sports, diversity, excitement, etc. You dont really get that in a rural area. Also, people tend to be more accepting of differences in urban places where in rural places, most people tend to be ignorant because they haven't experienced the rest of the world. I plan on moving somewhere big and exciting because small town life bores the hell out of me. But don't get me wrong, I woulnd't mind coming back for the occassional hunting trip or snowmobiling, but thats all it would be: a visit. Just my $0.02.

 

i find it amusing the 2 cents thing. it goes with the sort of exchange rate . here in the UK people will say "a penny for your thoughts".

 

yeah I think visiting sounds good. but maybe that will change as I get older. I certainly like the places where it's a town but surrounded by countryside, that's very lovely, a mixture of both. That's what my uni was like.

 

I'm not that much of a fan of cold and wet weather, which was what a lot of the times was like growing up. the summers were fine, but the winters could be horrible and we had to work out in them.

 

I think it's an interesting mix about the ignorant thing. I think definitely from my experience a lot of my peers there were very um, I don't know how to be polite. but rough maybe. but then you'd also get that one of my next door neighbours in our hamlet was a gay couple. But then they really weren't country folk, they were from London and France, and they still commute sort of. But they're integrated into the community stuff. but the community stuff is just full of petty stuff and arguments.

 

you know one of the guys in the valley is still a bachelor, he's a farmer and he has no running water (well, a pump, and a stream) and no electricity or gas or anything. I think he does push to a radio though and maybe camper gas.

 

I'm sorry for hijacking your thread with negative stuff . your turn now with all the positives.

 

celia

[JamesSavik]

I'm in Mississippi... but we have shoes and in door plumbing.

 

[Jack Frost]

Born in a valley town, but grew up in the woods of Nuangola Station, Pennsylvania.

 

I live in Montreal since 2005 because... Well... I just had to get out of the mindnumbing routine. I had my whole childhood there, so it's enough.

 

Though I still always go back to the country once every while because... the city life can be a bit foreign to me. >.<

[Toast]

Twenty years ago my area was very rural. Farms and acres and acres of woods. I would walk a dirt road to the river and spend all day hiking the woods, letting the dogs run. I would never see anyone even down by the river. It was very beautiful. Today their are subdivisions everywhere. Shopping centers everywhere. Cars and people everywhere. There is affluence and culture in rural areas just as there is ignorance and poverty in urban areas. I built a home and I am happy here. After all the city is only and hour away.

[Arpeggio]

I grew up in Boston where I took a bus or a cab, or I walked to get where I wanted.....

 

Now I live in TN, no buses, nothing within a 3 mile range, and I need a car to get everywhere.

[Daisy]

Twenty years ago my area was very rural. Farms and acres and acres of woods. I would walk a dirt road to the river and spend all day hiking the woods, letting the dogs run. I would never see anyone even down by the river. It was very beautiful. Today their are subdivisions everywhere. Shopping centers everywhere. Cars and people everywhere. There is affluence and culture in rural areas just as there is ignorance and poverty in urban areas. I built a home and I am happy here. After all the city is only and hour away.

 

I do see the attraction of there being no-one around. at my dad's it is great to be able to walk places - by the river etc. and it all reminds me of when I was little and the games we would make up in various spots.

 

my dad has only just got broadband now though. and even that is very very very slow and has problems. it would drive me crazy to have that problem full-time. But then maybe, I need to detox from the internet so it wouldn't be that bad an idea.

 

Where my mum lives in the suburbs we live on a beautiful coastline. usually when you go down there you will see dogwalkers, so you are not completely alone, and if it is a beautiful summers day then it can get very busy. But it is gorgeous and you could get lost there as well. it's a national trust park with sand-dunes, pine-trees and all sorts and stretches on and on. if I want to be alone or to think I go there. and take my dog as well . I watched that latest asteroid or comet shower (forgotten what it technically was) there with my friends.

[JamesSavik]

[Toast]

I do see the attraction of there being no-one around.

 

 

Your artistic side is taking over. Will poetry come next? Love.

[Daisy]

Your artistic side is taking over. Will poetry come next? Love.

 

 

hmmm

 

certainly not poetry.

 

 

actually at my dads I don't like walking alone in the countryside, for some reason it can be a bit creepy. with friends not so bad though

Edited October 21, 2009 by Smarties

[TetRefine]

 

 

 

This is not at all unusual where I live!

[Arpeggio]

omg

[Tiger]

This is not at all unusual where I live!

Ummm... they don't even do that here.

[TetRefine]

Ummm... they don't even do that here.

 

 

I was exaggerating...but you get my point.

[Mark Arbour]

I hate the country. They have snakes there.

[Zeoanne]

Awww come on Marcos, you afraid of little snakes? A big macho man like you? Naaahhhh, and yeah, plenty of black snakes 'round here but they are more afraid of us than anything. Besides, they keep the area free of rodents!! About 3 weeks ago we saw 2 in two consecutive days, one behind the house the other in the back porch. Each had a FULL belly! but then again, it could've been a birdy in there also We see a lot of them when we bush hog the fields, some get away, lots don't. Me? I'm ready for the city !!

[Mark Arbour]

Awww come on Marcos, you afraid of little snakes? A big macho man like you? Naaahhhh, and yeah, plenty of black snakes 'round here but they are more afraid of us than anything. Besides, they keep the area free of rodents!! About 3 weeks ago we saw 2 in two consecutive days, one behind the house the other in the back porch. Each had a FULL belly! but then again, it could've been a birdy in there also We see a lot of them when we bush hog the fields, some get away, lots don't. Me? I'm ready for the city !!

 

 

They eat rodents? As in rats? I hear they taste like rabbits.

 

 

[Zeoanne]

Wanna give'em a try? Come on down, we got a smorgasbord of them here! LOL!! But I thought they said chicken, not rabbits!!

[Krista]

I live out in the country, I have for most of my life. I love quiet and I like working in my yard.. I even own a tractor.. lol. The only bad thing about living here (in this very spot) we have to put up with slow net speeds. I hate noise of any kind and lights... Aaron lives in Lexington.. sirens, lights, and cars going by every two minutes just really makes me toss and turn all night.. so I told him if he marries me then he's moving out into the country... lol.

 

The weather seems nicer here, more peaceful.. although the whole state of Ky pretty much has the same climate.. and Autumn is my favorite time of year out here, the colors are great.

[Arpeggio]

When I moved to the country, Krista, the silence scared the life out of me. I couldn't sleep at all. How weird.

[Jack Frost]

When I moved to the country, Krista, the silence scared the life out of me. I couldn't sleep at all. How weird.

When I moved to the city, I found it so difficult to sleep decently with street lights shining out of my room. Even with the curtains closed.

 

And I still have some trouble because of that.

 

I absolutely need pitch black when I go to bed. Just like my country hometown.

 

There is no such thing as pure silence in the country. You still hear crickets.

Edited October 22, 2009 by Jack Frost