Life in the village (Yiannis Mouratidis)

I've been living in the city for several years, but I couldn't live here forever. It is known that cities possess distinct advantages , there are many remarkable things to do, every possible kind of service someone might need and the only sure thing is you'll never get bored . And — most importantly — it gives you anonymity, you do whatever you want without worrying about what others will say.

But in the city people do not maintain meaningful ties between them. Life in the village is serene. People are modest, sincere. Growing up in a village means that you learn to call things by their name, you call a spade a spade ,even to the point of being blunt or rude.

My childhood years were carefree without the routine, and the stress people from the fast-paced cities have to deal with. All the kids, young and old, were gathering in the central square of the village and playing in vacant and big places, ball, basketball and hide and seek, or even take our bicycles and visit youngsters in neighbouring villages until evening. We weren't scared like the kids from the city. And our parents left us free. They knew that if something bad happened, someone would come to help, because everyone knew everyone and they all cared for each other. The criminality was low because of the people's mentality.

Another big problem in the cities is the so-called "Dead hours" , those times when you have to wait without any other alternative, such as taking the bus to go to work/university or get stuck in a traffic jam forever. It takes me almost two hours to go from my house to the university and come back. That's not the case in the countryside, where most things are close to each other and due to the low population you almost never get stuck in traffic jams.

Of course in small villages, there are stereotypes and prejudices, especially in older people. Some simple things can really blow out of proportion from time to time. And accepting diversity remains a delicate affair. But I reasonably believe that our modern generation is more informed, more aware, and more open-minded than our parents' generation.

The rural lifestyle can be wonderfully refreshing. If you love nature, quiet activities such as reading, or very full-time hobbies that would be difficult to pursue in a more distracting atmosphere, the rural lifestyle might be just the ticket for you!

#countrysidelife #connections #citylife #distances #closeby #faraway