Living in the country has many benefits, I’ll tell you. There is a lot to be said for a place with no other houses in close proximity. There’s room to breathe. And I think the stars are better at night.
I grew up in a city. As a child, I was amazed — and I mean totally shocked — the first time we ever drove “out into the country.” It was like we had crossed some mystical border into another land. In fact. We had.
But now that I live here, it is all matter-of-fact, in a way. Please don’t get me wrong. I give thanks every day for the beauty of the surrounding incredible nature. We regularly see things like deer, hawks, snakes, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, possums, herons, and more. Sometimes we spot the occasional coyote, fox, mink, weasel, and even a bobcat.
Another thing I’ve gained from moving to a rural community are many friends who grew up in rural communities. They lived on farms when they were young and had horses, cows, pigs, chickens, and other farmy critters. Their back yards were filled with rolling fields of corn, or wheat, or even potatoes. Big barns stood watching, waiting, for the next big adventure. Like I said. Another mystical land.
I don’t regret growing up in the city. In fact, I loved it. Our streets were filled with kids. For blocks. Lots of kids in every house, as there were many Catholic parents practicing the rhythm method.
We always had a stickball game, or tag, or football, where a dozen or more of us would play at one time. Like a block party every day of the week during the summertime. Mostly we played in the street. Occasionally, we stuck to our own backyards. Because. It was a long haul to the closest park.
We didn’t have a worry in the world. At night, we’d all go back to our houses when the street lights came on. And that was that.
This was our backyard.
It doesn’t look like much, because truthfully, it wasn’t. None of us had very big yards. And, as you can see in this photo, it butted up to the neighbor’s garage behind us. Just rows of houses, blocked out, one after the other.
But. We could dig in the dirt there, just like anywhere else. Mud pies are mud pies. And that was good.
These days, more people live in the cities than do not. The U.S. population in non-metro (rural) counties stood at 46.1 million in July 2019. That accounted for 14 percent of U.S. residents spread across 72 percent of the Nation’s land area.
And, these days, agriculture employs less than 5% of the rural workforce.
But the face of these communities is changing. Not here in Preble County, that’s for sure. We are a mostly white community. However, people of color comprised 83% of rural population growth between 2000 and 2010.
And people are generally poorer. In 2017, the rural poverty rate stood at 16.4% in rural areas, compared to urban at 12.9%. For children, the rural poverty rate was 22.8%, more than five points higher than urban at 17.7%. (All of this from U.S. Census Reports)
All in all? There is a give and take to it all, I suppose.
That’s mostly what I’ve been thinking about all of this. There are two sides to every story. All things — ALL THINGS — have pros and cons, negatives and positives. It goes that way with people too.
Someone once said, “Beware of the half-truth. You may have gotten hold of the wrong half.” And that is the whole truth.
No matter where we are or who we are, two angles exist. There are highs and lows. Advantages and disadvantages. Opportunities and obstacles. Assets and liabilities.
I think it is good to recognize the entire picture.
People often say we should focus on that which is positive. I believe this is a good practice. Yet, I also think we should have a high understanding of the negative, for it is only when we acknowledge it, that we can make it better.
So. No matter where we are. Our backyards are where we play. It is best to know them well.
==========
“Not knowing when the dawn will come
I open every door.”
― Emily Dickinson
===========
“A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.”
― Francis Bacon, The Essays
===========
“Just because you don’t understand it doesn’t mean it isn’t so.”
― Lemony Snicket, The Blank Book
============
