Country Dwellers!!

If you are a country dweller like me, how many times have you had someone from the city ask why on earth you want to live so far away from everything and everyone?   I've been asked that question numerous times.  Now, let me say when I was 18 I couldn't wait to get the heck out of the country.  I wanted to live in the big city of Huntsville, AL.  I wanted a home with all the modern conveniences that we didn't have in the home I grew up in.  You know things like central heating and cooling and a dishwasher!!  I wanted to live where it's wasn't allowed to hang your clothes out on a line!!  I wanted to be able to use all that electricity to dry clothes and run the dishwasher!!  I spent 20 years living that life until I realized I wanted to be back in the country where I could grow a garden and hang clothes on the line!! 

For the past 12 years I've been back in the country and I can honestly say I have NO DESIRE to live in the city again!!  I love being able to get out of bed in the mornings and walk out onto my front porch in my nightgown and not be worried about being arrested for indecent exposure!!  We cut the grass in daisy dukes and a bikini top and it doesn't seem to offend anyone  (I am 50 years old --- not like a 25 year old strutting her stuff).  Every time we see Mr. Jerry from the water department he honks the horn and yells out hello!! Do you city folks know your water department man?  I bet not!! From time to time when we are sitting on the front porch someone passing by will stop and have a glass of tea with us.  Nine times out of ten we don't know these folks until they stop and introduce themselves and have a glass of tea with us.  Now, how often does that happen in the city???  On a couple of occasions when the lawn mower wouldn't start or I got the big U-Haul stuck in the driveway most everyone passing by stopped to see if they could help!!  It's amazing how the trucks these men drive can pull a 28 foot U-Haul out of the mud where I've gotten it stuck! lol   In the city they wouldn't give two hoots about helping you and would definitely report you to the city if the grass gets a little too tall!!

True story..... this past week dear friends of mine who live in the really nice part of a city bought their 12 year old son a new bicycle so he could ride back and forth to school.  Less than 24 hours later when he is riding home from school the next day, two other boys jumped him (in his own driveway) apparently with the intentions of stealing the new bicycle!!  My friends son suffered a broken arm and contusions on his legs.  Those hoodlums would have probably hurt him even worse and taken his new bicycle if the neighbor across the street had not noticed what was going on.  Apparently, one of those boys had already been expelled from school even though they have only been in session about a week.  I may not have this part of the story 100% correct, but I believe when they called the local police department they were told since it was Juveniles it would have to be handled through an attorney!!  Now, why on earth would you have to spend money on an attorney to get justice for bullies beating up your child and breaking his arm.  Isn't assault a crime?  Doesn't it seem like with witnesses (grown neighbors) that the law should have gone and picked that punk up and thrown him in a cell?  Or at least requested the parents bring the child to the jail for a visit??!!   Oh, then to top it all off the Mother of the boy who was apparently the ring leader calls the Mother of the child who was hurt and starts to rant and rave and call her names!!  My friend simply said something to the effect  of see you in court...... and hung up!!

In the twelve years that I've raised my children out here in the country neither of them have experienced anything of a violent nature from other children.  I hope it remains that way, but if it doesn't I will fully expect the local law enforcement to do their job.  If my son were to ever show violent tendencies toward another child such as what happened to my friends child I would jerk his butt up and take him to the jail myself!  Then he would probably be grounded for the remainder of his teenage years!!

I seriously don't expect violence among the children out here where we live.  I truly believe bringing your children up in the country is the way to go!

I love to hear my readers comments and stories so, feel free to post if you have a story you would like to share!

Nanette
The Crow's Nest