Life in Rural America

This is me with my mother helping her harvest some squash.
I was 11 months old in this photo. 

Recently, I saw a quote from Don Dillman, a professor at Washington State University. He was quoted in saying, "Ironically, rural America, has become viewed by a growing number of Americans as a higher quality of life...not because of what is has, but rather because of what it does not have.". Growing up, I would agree that there is a lot that rural life doesn't have. No street lights, no malls, no sidewalks, no reliable high speed internet,  the list goes on and on. Perhaps I was too young to yet appreciate that "lack" of city amenities.

 Fast forward to 2008. Moving out to Ithaca was a bit of an adjustment. I remember how much artificial light there was. Of course, it didn't help that my room mate the first year was a night owl and would stay up until 2am. If anyone has ever tried to drive around downtown Ithaca, you know how bad the traffic can be (especially if you're on the way to Moe's).

Living in the middle of nowhere offers many benefits that simply aren't possible in an urban environment. We  live on a major road (but not a highway) and rush-hour traffic is by no means a gridlock. Every morning, I watch the Philadelphia morning news and needless to say, the traffic is horrible. Congested traffic is non-existent in rural areas (unless it's behind a tractor).

Pollution is another consideration. Air pollution tends to be lower in rural areas (due to less traffic/congestion) although this can be argued when farmers are out spreading chicken manure. Light pollution is also less prevalent due to fewer streetlights. If you want to see a clear night sky, you gotta get away from the streetlights of the city. Finally, the only form of noise pollution I remember from my childhood was that obnoxious rooster that crowed all hours of the night.

Growing up, we ate a lot of vegetables and steak. This was because we grew most of what was on our dinner table. So not only did I get a sound work ethic from the garden and the farm, but I also got a balanced, nutritious diet through the crops we grew. I actually got tired of having steak once a week growing up. I say this not to be a snob but when you grow an 1800 lb Steer (a bull without his manhood), there's a lot of steak to eat.

One of the steers we raised. We would raise 4 at a time and would harvest 2 per year. 

Rural life also tends to be a slower way of life. This was an adjustment moving back home after college. Going from the fast-paced lifestyle of college to the slower lifestyle of a 40 hour work week in the country can be a bit boring. I'm convinced that this is because I've never had this much free time in 5 or so years. But more importantly, a slower lifestyle translates to a lower level of stress. Higher stress is clinically proven to decrease lifespan, although it is true that some stress is necessary (most people I meet are well past this threshold).

To conclude, I think many people yearn for a simpler life. I think we all would like to eat steak weekly, have a smooth commute to work, and live in a cleaner environment. Unfortunately, it's not so easy in an urban environment. So while I couldn't stand living in the country growing up, I am glad to have the experience and wouldn't want it any other way.

Growing up rural

I got a hay fort whenever we baled hay, you jealous?

Growing up in the country, you face the problem of not a whole lot to do. Looking back, I don't know how I survived. I mean, we just got high speed internet a few years ago. We weren't allowed to have any video games in the house, which explains why I'm no good at COD, (unless it's with the riot shield, then I just kinda hide behind it and run into people). We didn't have cable, though we did get satellite TV when I was about 10 or 11.

Growing up, we spent a lot of time outside. Summertime was, and still is my favorite time of year, mainly because it's ideal outside time. Growing up, I would help bale hay when the time came, and swimming was always a good memory. Looking back, we didn't run the air conditioners a whole lot (compared to other households), which probably explains why I'm used to the humidity. I came from a household, where, as long as you put on your sunblock, the sun was good for you.

One very fond memory I have is for my second or third Christmas, my parents had bought me one of those toy jeeps, the ones that were big enough to drive around in. Well, my father is pretty handy, and rigged a way to take the measly 6 volt battery out and drop in a car battery. After a few tweaks, there may have been a small electrical fire along the way, I had a super-jeep. No, really, I used to hitch that little jeep up to my father's trailer, and pull it around. This jeep was a beast. So, at a young age, I was "encouraged" to spend as much time outside.

Later on, as I became older, I took up other hobbies after harvest. Another fond memory while I was homeschooled was making air cannons with PVC pipe. I would shoot anything that would fit down the barrel, though vegetables were my favorite, as they would explode on impact. Ah, the joys of being a strange homeschooled kid with a mad-scientist's brain.

And while I may have said multiple times that I wanted nothing more than to live in a place with sidewalks and street lamps, looking back, I don't think I could sleep in a place where anyone could walk up to my front door, or have a street lamp flooding my bedroom with artificial light. I'll stick to my starry nights and empty spaces.