Talkin' Shit About A Pretty Sunset

It was Lucinda Williams who said, “My heart’s in the country but my mind’s in the city”, and this sums up my current state of mind. After having numerous conversations with friends about the merits of country and city---which one is better, where one should live, etc---the upshot is that even though I love the woods and water and can’t wait to get out to West Virginia soon, for mental well-being and health I’ll choose the city every time.

A close friend has recently given up on urban life after a 6-year stint as a city dweller. After a year or so of hashing through the pros and cons of both regions he’s finally made the decision to get the f’ out. What is it that he’s trying to escape? Weed-wackers outside his window at 6:00 AM? Thuggish drunks picking fights? Poor government and private services? Noise? Lazy cops? Racism? No front porch? These are his supposed reasons for moving out, but all that just sounds like a typical day in rural America, doesn’t it? Peace and quiet, he says ... True, in some cases, but I live in one of the busiest city neighborhoods and I’ve never had a problem getting to sleep due to noise. Hmm … I guess the pace of life in the country is slower and more relaxing which---I guess---is important to people who are … uh … retired …

Maybe it’s the-grass-is-greener effect.

No doubt, for people in their 20s and 30s the city is the only place that meets the need for constant mental and physical stimulation. For “peace and quiet” you can always go on a weekend backpacking trip, can’t you? Additionally, our image of the country rarely exists in 2004. The past few times I’ve been out in the sticks, it’s looked fairly suburbanized, with Best Buys and Walmarts galore. Why would you want to live around all that? Beats me. Why not just move to Montgomery County?