City life or village life? It’s one of the most common questions which is asked to recognize what type a person is. Most of the time people choose one of them and explain why. They are actually expected to do so.
However, when I meet with such a question I always get confused. I was born and have grown up in a big city, I have tasted its opportunities and can never do without them. Knowing that there are big hospitals, schools, shopping malls and many cultural events make me feel comfortable. Indeed, the feeling that you can reach whatever you want and need whenever necessary is great.
Living in a big city is a big advantage. There are far more job opportunities than a rural area. Shops have more variety and usually the products there are more qualified. In addiction to this, those shops campaign frequently due to commercial competition. You can easily get journals and books you wanna read and mobile phones get signal stronger.
The neighbour provinces don’t have as many inhabitants as the one in which I live. So they don’t have extensive hospitals, either. When they need, they come to my city. It’s quite costly to them as I take only public bus and don’t pay for a hotel room. But I’m not sure if it is really a heaven-sent profit. Because a bus ride take about one hour, which is enough to tire me and you have to estimate everything beforehand to get on time. The ride, the possible missing, accidents, the rainy weather. When you take your own car, then comes parking place problem. And traffic jam is a growing problem in big cities.
People say that there were lots of cultural events in big cities. Concerts, cinema, public lectures, theatre and exhibitions. They are right, I cannot deny it. But I see those people either working or on the way to work or resting at home. Or they go to shopping malls. Even enjoying cost money in big cities. Even enjoying tires and stresses.
On the other hand, when I somehow fall with nature, I become relieved. I witnessed sunrise which I couldn’t do on an area surrounded by high-rise buildings. The Sun rises slowly behind enormous mountains; the colour changes, firstly orange then yellow. It’s an incredible view that no movie, no visual effect and no camera can bestow me. It’s an inutterable feeling when you wander in nature. The blue sky, the white cottonlike clouds and everything green.
For thousands of years people, meanly our ancestors, lived in the nature. They were a part of it. Nature, animals and we were created by the same God but cities are human-made. This may be the reasons why nature feels us peaceful. But today our people are in dilemma since they have grown up in big cities. Their souls pine for nature and a simple life, they can never give up what city life offers to them, though. They have, moreover, no village experience. Their survival is no longer bound to industry and money. The meaning of ingenuity has already changed.
Our people saw fruits and vegetables at supermarkts or on bazaars. They can see there only a few cultivars of a fruit but many more cultivars of a fruit (or vegetable) exist. Their tastes, colours and shapes differ. But some cultivars look nicer, are more fertile and more convenient to transport. For economical concerns those kinds are produced and sold. But in nature the meaning of fertility is different.
Many of us think today that they can’t do without internet, especially social media. We are addicted to things we don’t need to at heart. Although when I am in village and have weak internet, I don’t feel myself stressed. I rather weight off my mind. It’s interesting as I spend most of my free time surfing. Therefore I think we have actually nothing to do with social media and surfing. We do it as we have nothing important or pleasing to do. When I have, I never even wonder what’s going on at Instagram. Surfing and social media is the easiest way to fill spare time. So long as we find better ways to please and relax ourselves, we won’t need to social media. We surf when we need to rest our heads but actually we stuff our minds with unnecessary things; what others do, what others buy, how others decorate their houses, what others eat and so on... When I surf to rest, then I feel myself more tired and need to another rest as my mind becomes full. However I must admit that having strong internet signal is sometimes vital. Unfortunately I haven’t found the balance, yet.
I follow some people at Instagram. They chose a simple and natural life and moved to rural areas. They grow their own food, they reject to take medicine and see doctors. They build their own houses with natural materials and choose unschooling for their children. They produce their own natural cleaning materials. Indispensable white goods are dispensable for them. They have found ways not to be choked by industry.
I envy them and want to live such a simple and stress-free life one day. I don’t like those ordinary working hours and don’t want my children to grow up with babysitters and to go to nursery at 3 years. I think nature itself is a great exhibiton and learning field.
Still, I cannot find the courage in me, yet. I just observe now and take it easy. I’m used to buy everything and not good at handicraft. Even though education system is harshly criticised, I always managed it. I’m not against having schools and an education system. Conditions depend person to person and place to place. I see that people are interested in what is different. I grew up in a big city and take interest in village life. But I saw some villagers who long for a city life. I don’t like all-or-nothing manner, rather want to find the balance and live where city life and village life are in one another.
I also know the fact; nature isn’t always blue, green and serene. It’s the essence of rivalry, battle, strength and authority, as well. Nature forces human being! Maybe it’s the reason why we move ourselves away from the hardship of nature to the comfort of city.
