City or Countryside
Before townships and cities developed, people lived in villages in the countryside. Facilities are, no doubt, better in cities, but city life has become associated with stress, crime and pollution.
Life in the city is very hectic. Traffic congestion is a perpetual problem. At work, fierce competition, deadlines and meetings await the city dweller. Always in a hurry to avoid the rush hour traffic jams, to be time for appointments or to stay one step ahead of other, people in cities have little time to relax. In the countryside, life is much more relaxed, there are little hassle and no point in competing. Villagers go about their tasks during the day and rest in the evenings.
Living in towns and cities is also becoming dangerous. Houses in cities are fenced in and many house owners also install grilles and alarm systems to safeguard their homes. With the rising crime rate in cities, a woman walking alone at night or displaying jewellery is courting danger. In the countryside, houses may not even be locked or have fences. People there usually know one another and outsides are easily spotted. Any villager who commits a crime will be ostracized or punished, or both. Furthermore, villagers help each other.
At the same time, pollution has become a household word in cities. Exhaust fumes from motor vehicles pollute the air, and there is always the noise of the traffic. Anyone who has lived in one of the crowded housing areas in the city also knows that residents are often involuntary eavesdroppers to a neighbor’s family quarrel or are forced to listen to music from somebody else’s radio. In the countryside, houses are further apart but there is close rapport between villagers or townspeople as they meet frequently. Furthermore, the countryside is known for its fresh air and quiet surroundings, which is good for one’s physical and mental health. The countryside, ahs, unfortunately, a few job opportunities and places for leisure. It also has an inadequate public transportation system.
If I could live in the countryside and yet have the same opportunities as I have in the city, I would definitely prefer the countryside because life there is not as stressful as that in the city and yet is much safe and healthier.
