Country people look up, City people look down.
I spent over 30 years living in the city, working in high rise office blocks, glass towers, lunch in the newest restaurants, meeting after meetings, company cars and underground carpark then I moved to the country. I've been on my farm now for 5 years and I sometimes go back to the city to visit and have the opportunity to walk around and observe the old haunts.
I've noticed this strange phenomena of late, City people walk around looking down and country people walk around looking up.
I guess in the city you always seems to be looking down at you phone, or looking where your walking and trying to pick you way through the crowd or along the pathway and cooled stones. Why look up anyway? it's just the same building your walking past extending into the sky and blocking the sun. Maybe it's a bit about personal space, the psychology of having people too close so the defence is to look down and avoid eye contact less they might engage you and it's easier to push past someone when you haven't connected with them, there is less accountability in annonimity.
In the country the day starts by looking at the sky, will it rain, can I mow today? will it rain can, I get my crops in or shear the sheep? for country people what is happening in the sky sets the schedule in many ways for their activities across the day so they are constantly checking clouds, colours and wind directions. Which way are the clouds heading? can I smell smoke and what direction is it coming from? maybe I'll burn off myself or if that rain is heading this way I'll spread some fertiliser so it's washed in.
Maybe its just all about the situation and the habits you learn. I know for me now when i visit the city I usually come home with a sore next from straining to see up between the buildings and more than once I walked head first into other people bustling down the street.
(my Dad, 89 years old and still looking up)
I've noticed this strange phenomena of late, City people walk around looking down and country people walk around looking up.
I guess in the city you always seems to be looking down at you phone, or looking where your walking and trying to pick you way through the crowd or along the pathway and cooled stones. Why look up anyway? it's just the same building your walking past extending into the sky and blocking the sun. Maybe it's a bit about personal space, the psychology of having people too close so the defence is to look down and avoid eye contact less they might engage you and it's easier to push past someone when you haven't connected with them, there is less accountability in annonimity.
In the country the day starts by looking at the sky, will it rain, can I mow today? will it rain can, I get my crops in or shear the sheep? for country people what is happening in the sky sets the schedule in many ways for their activities across the day so they are constantly checking clouds, colours and wind directions. Which way are the clouds heading? can I smell smoke and what direction is it coming from? maybe I'll burn off myself or if that rain is heading this way I'll spread some fertiliser so it's washed in. Maybe its just all about the situation and the habits you learn. I know for me now when i visit the city I usually come home with a sore next from straining to see up between the buildings and more than once I walked head first into other people bustling down the street.
(my Dad, 89 years old and still looking up)
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