I live in a rural community and mostly love it. But it's not always lovely cows and flowers here. Living in a small, rural area does have its downside. Here are some possible things that are bad about rural living, although the same can be said for many places on some of these, I think.*
1. Isolation and lack of social interaction with neighbors and friends. While I have neighbors whose homes I can see, for the most part, I don't know them. I know family members who have built on or near the farm, but the newer folks, not so much.
2. Poor access to health care, education, and public services. Health care is a 15-minute drive and the probability of dying from a heart attack is much greater for me than for someone who lives in a city, mostly because care is so far away. By the time emergency services arrives, it could be 20 minutes. Then it's another 20 minutes to the hospital. That "golden hour" of survival is now whittled down to another 20 minutes. Odds aren't good I'll survive.
3. Limited job opportunities and lower income. The pay around here is not good, and the places to work are limited to agriculture or industrial, unless one wants to teach in the public schools.
4. Difficulty in traveling and commuting due to distance and weather conditions.
5. Slow internet and cable services that affect work and entertainment. I still have DSL. I don't see anything faster or better in my immediate future.
6. Higher exposure to wildlife and pests that can damage crops and property. Lyme Disease along with Alpha-Gal, both tick-born illnesses, are rampant around here.
7. Higher expenses on gas, groceries, and utilities. I'm not sure what electric bills run in the city, but out here, they're in the hundreds of dollars.
8. Lack of privacy and anonymity from family and community.
9. Difficulty in finding a romantic partner or breaking up with one. That's because everyone talks. Nothing like gossip to keep the neighborhood stirred up.
10. Lack of diversity and cultural experiences. We have history museums, but no art galleries. Most socializing around here is done at church, and if one doesn't go to church, the opportunities are slim.
11. Lack of shopping options and recreational activities. We have a Dollar General. That's not much.
12. Stress from environmental problems such as pollution and deforestation. We have a lot of pollution from our industrial factories. I live in between the two largest polluters in my county. This is why I have two air purifiers in the house.
13. Boredom and drug and alcohol abuse among teens. This applies to adults too, I think. On Mondays, one only need look in the recycling bin to see what kind of alcoholics live around here. The glass and tin bins are full of liquor and beer bottles. Overflowing, even. I guess the folks go to church to socialize and then drink and talk about it later in the day.
*List curated with assistance from the Bing AI.
This is so true for my region, too. Add in long, dark winter months...
ReplyDeleteYeah, I feel for the teens. Personally, mostly I like the isolation. Thanks for posting the TT this week. I got my days mixed up from being on vacation. I thought it was Wednesday today!
ReplyDeleteI've lived in the country since 1999. No way would I ever go back to Roanoke!
ReplyDeleteLiving in a more urban setting isn't necessarily better. I just read something about how there's a shortage of paramedics, so that wait for an ambulance is getting to be the same here, just for different reasons. And teens will be bored anywhere. I grew up in Anaheim, 2 miles from Disneyland. We constantly complained about how there was "nothing to do". There was. There truly was.
ReplyDeleteThe question is, do you like living where you live? Downsides aside, I'm sure there are some wonderful things in your community.
As I said in my opening sentence, I mostly love where I live. But I seldom mention any downsides, mostly because they aren't a major concern to me. I prefer living in the country and away from people and don't mind the trade-off.
DeleteMany of those are true for us, too, and we live on the outer edges of a small town. Growing up I knew everyone in our neighborhood and I could count on my mom knowing if I'd done something wrong before I even made it home. The grapevine was swift and powerful. The most immediate neighbors we considered family and I called them all "Aunt" and "Uncle" because we knew them too well to use Mr. and Mrs. and a kid didn't dare call an adult by their first name back then. Now I'm rapidly making my way to being part of the oldest generation in the neighborhood and as the older folks pass on and new young families move in I find that I hardly know any of them. Nobody comes out and mingles like they used to.
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