WHAT IFS

While extolling the virtues of getting outside and absorbing all that nature has to offer, especially the peace and serenity I feel, I began to think about how wonderful it is to live in the country. I can step outside my door and there it is in all of its glory. There is no noise pollution, no air pollution, no light pollution. My well water is crystal clear.
Then I thought...but what if?...

What if I lived here? I'd step outside and smell what? See what?

What if this was my yard? Could I find peace and serenity here?

What if this was my green space? What are my night sounds? Gunshots and sirens? Would I not be constantly on edge? Always feeling threatened? Would I have witnessed things more appropriate to a war zone? What if this was the only life I had ever known? What if I had never experienced a truly peaceful day?

What if all of my friends and family were also products of this environment? We speak of mental health issues being a major factor in gun violence and mass killings. We have huge segments of society living in conditions that would cause anyone to suffer from PTSD. A life always on edge, guarded, traumatic. I know I would not be able to survive such a life.

I understand that cities grow around the sources of jobs and transportation but many of our cities have lost their manufacturing base and access to railways and rivers doesn't have the importance it once had. While there are still cultural centers and a multitude of diverse dining experiences, I find that I can get those things in other ways. How can we show young people that there are other ways to live and to feel? One program that attempts to answer that question is the Fresh Air program. I'm sure there are several others. We need these programs now more than ever. Let those of us who can, share the simple joy of living simply.