Choosing your lifestyle is not an easy decision. There are many factors to take into
consideration. People, including relatives and friends, needs, wants, and economic
conditions all come into play. A person must decide what is important, which goals
are they trying to attain, and if there is a certain aspect of life that carries more
weight than the others.
In choosing simple living, rustic living, or country living, you opt to have more
control over your time, your resources, and your surroundings. In the city or urban
lifestyle, time is of the essence. You must get from one point to the other as quickly
as possible, and be doing something else while you are getting there. Having lived
in the metropolitan area of Chicago, just watching the crowds of people attests to the
fact that everyone is going somewhere, they are preoccupied with their own thoughts
and their main concern is their daily planner. The train stations and bus depots at rush
hour are a scene of mass confusion to the inexperienced observer. There are individuals
getting off trains, others getting on. They are seriously searching for seats, or making due
by standing in aisles, in between train cars, or making themselves comfortable on the
stairs leading to the upper level. Other passengers walk over them, around them, and even
under them. However, if you were a participant in this ballet of transportation, you would
see a method to the madness. The people get to where they are going, so that they can begin a journey to their next destination.
In the remote areas commonly referred to as rural living, the pace is more leisurely, but
it can get hectic when the need arises. The rules are a little different. Your choice is that
convenience is sacrificed for serenity and seclusion. It may take you longer to get some-
where, but that’s a small price to pay to have the time to watch that sunset or stop and breathe in the clear, clean air. Watching an eagle fly to the top of a tree can be a form of
therapy for frazzled nerves and disappointments. The pay may not be as lucrative as in
the city, but the expenses are more controlled. Daily restaurant lunches are bypassed for
brown bag delights of yesterday’s chicken barbecue. If the weather is good, lunch can
be enjoyed outdoors, along a quiet lake, or next to a meandering stream.
The concrete jungle has its priorities but so does its rustic counterpart. Only the participants made a conscious decision to forego some amenities and replace them with different values and needs. Neither life will be without problems, but living styles will
undergo a change. Activities of an indoor nature will be replaced by the great outdoors. Environment and conservation will have a different meaning, and burn-out symptoms will be managed. Adrenelin will be less in vogue, but amazement will increase. Friendships will take on a whole new meaning, and reliability will be shared.
There is an old saying that a person can be alone in a crowd. This is true. In a busy,
rushed atmosphere, people are faceless and nameless. Their surroundings are noticed for different reasons. Safety takes on different overtones, and crime and security are a menacing drill of rules. In the more open areas, people take time to know a neighbor, respond to the needs of those around them, and crime prevention is a group effort. People in small towns are not considered vagrant for sitting on a stoop and waving to a passerby is a gesture of friendship. Children are usually not relegated to day-care centers as several generations share living space. Chores are a spoken rule, not to be negotiated. Nature becomes a way of life and not an intrusion. Stars are not hidden by highrises and open windows embrace the evening breezes.
Neither lifestyle is the best if the one you have is not what you want and who you are. If walking down a forest path is not your cup of tea, then the regal appointments of brick and mortar are where you should be. People are as different in their needs and wants as there are pebbles on a beach. Some prefer the shade, while others thrive in the sun. Some are smooth and glassy, while others relish the lines of yesterday’s history.
You must be true to yourself. You must know yourself and put out that olive branch of friendship from the person you are to the person you want to become. Your best friend’s needs and goals will not mirror yours exactly. Your mother and father’s achievements may or may not bring you the same sense of pride. Your children may not understand your choices, and sometimes neither will you. But there is a tiny part of everyone’s heart that will let you know what the right choice of living style is for you. Embrace it, welcome it, and follow it to the best of your ability. If you don’t, an emptiness, a dissatisfaction, and a sadness will be your lifelong companion. Take the time to sort out your feelings, design your own map, and then follow it religiously. If you find you made a mistake, go to the drawing board and start all over again. The only time you will have failed is if you drown in your own mistakes instead of pulling yourself to shore.
©Arleen M. Kaptur 2002 All Rights Reserved
About the Author
Numerous magazine and newspaper articles
Author: Searching for Austin James
Websites:
http://www.rusticliving.info
http://www.webspawner.com/users/rusticliving/index.htm.
http://www.topica.com/lists/simpleliving
Member: NAWW
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