Country Living
What is it like moving to the country?
If you see an idyllic picture of the easy life then don't
read this. What happens most often is the city comes with us.
It begins somewhat like this:
The first few years are a rush getting settled and
comfortable. We rush into a few country pursuits, possibly
animals or gardening. Soon the kids and projects put a dent
on finances so the commute to work begins. Time becomes short
and country projects loose their appeal.
To stay in touch we get a cell phone and the kids demand one
of those satellite dishes. To make ends meet we shop at the
discount stores in town.
More people begin moving and soon the commute puts pressure
on local roads. More stoplights appear and a few fast food
restaurants.
It goes on like this till the country fades into the
background and we watch it out the window. There are still a
few country activities hanging around but the original dream
of country living now appears to be a naive fantasy.
This doesn't fit all areas but i've seen it happen many times
here. Having a highly mobile and changing society probably
aggravates the situation because few people see it happening
and adjust their behavior. If we did make adjustments they
might go like this:
1. Understand ourselves. What we want and how we can
achieve it.
2. Understand the environment. How does nature work
and how does the local economy function.
These two steps should take about 50 years and in the
process we might become part of the country. Along the
way we might look into permaculture, organic living,
bioregionalism, ecology, and all the other related topics.
We might even decide that moving isn't necessary. We can
build a country life just about anywhere.
jeff
