There's something about the hustle and bustle, the noise, and the bright lights of urban cities that make people feel complete. Many people, including my Odyssey teammate, Richard Diaz, think that the find a "sense of comfort" being around a million people all the time. However, Mr. Diaz, I find that discomfort in the fact that a very slim amount of those people actually care about my own person. Let me explain. Seeing as though I currently live only an hour from Chicago, I have taken my fair share of trips to the Windy City. In my time there, I don't think one person has gone out of their way to deliver a genuine "hello." Moreover, when I try to be the initiator, people look at my like I've got three heads! Morale of the tangent here is that the rustle in bustle of city life is drawn from a vast amount of individuals all trying to do their own thing. Everyone is rushing to work, to a meeting, home for dinner, to a sports game, a play or musical, to that plane that's an hour from departure. In my experience, no one takes the time to sit back, relax, and appreciate the simple things.
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If Woody Harrelson taught us anything from his beloved character, Tallahassee, in Zombieland, it was to "enjoy the little things" (Rule #32). To Tallahassee, enjoying the little things was destroying an abandoned Native American trade shop for fun (man, I really want to watch Zombieland, now). To country folk, enjoying the little things could be anything from watching the sunset in your rocking chair, to a cool glass of lemonade, to a morning horseback ride, to your favorite fishing hole. To city dwellers, enjoying little things is....well, there are no little things to enjoy. And, if there are little things, there's hardly any time to sit down and enjoy them. Hell, there's hardly any time to sit down. The small towns move slow. At the end of the work day, all you've got to appreciate is what you already have, and I think that is a special value to learn. Again, speaking from experience, the city slickers I meet talk about everything their working towards, while country folk talk about everything their working for. The difference is that country folk work to support what they already have, not so that they can purchase whatever they'd like. The mindset of being more people-oriented than things-oriented is way more comforting than anything the city has to offer.
But, let's not forget the aesthetic aspects. Sure, the large modern-y structures that we have built are cool and all, but nothing beats waking up to the sun rising over a hillside, while the only sounds to be heard are the early birds chirping. The smell of blossoming flora is much more inviting than the stench of the sewers. Being able to take a minute to stop working and appreciate the great creation/formation that is the Earth is only available on the countryside. You can't find hiking trails, glistening lakes, or open plains filled with nature's beautiful creatures looking out the window of a 50-story high rise. The only plausible issue with the countryside is that you can't attend a Chicago Cubs game in a cornfield.
So for all you city slickers who think that the small towns are nothing but corn, guns, and family members, come out and spend time with us. You may develop a newfound appreciation for something as simple as a sunrise, or a moonlit bonfire.
