Each summer we pack, leave the rat race of Seattle, and head back east to rural New York. Yes, there is a rural New York. "The city" is but a small part of this beautiful state, and it is surely not the most beautiful part.
In our time here, we live a more comfortable and peaceful life, if only for six weeks. We live that life with family, and our time is spent dually in the Adirondack and Allegany mountains. A 10 year old boy lives "the dream," an 8 year old girl and her mother swim and tan, and a 35 year old man regresses to a near state of childhood, living the life of that 10 year old boy. Shoot, fish, explore, climb, campfire, ATV, repeat. I work while I am here, but the minute I step away from the computer, I become the 10 year old boy. The switch is quick. Grandparents enjoy the company of children, children enjoy the company of cousins, and "seasonal" friendships are rekindled.
The life we live while in New York is admittedly unconventional. We have access to homes, land, toys and many other things that most do not. The median income is $27-30,000 in the areas we visit. That is for a family, and the figure leaves me both sad and speechless, wondering how folks eat - much less support their families. But they do.
It is with all of this in mind that I wonder if a more rural existence is the right one for my family and I. I have enjoyed what the city has offered over the past 10 years, and we have lived a full and successful urban life...but a country boy living in the city is still a country boy.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment