It’s amazing how just the slightest distinction can make the biggest difference and the smallest of contrasts can make something completely diverse.
Growing up in a small Iowa town is an excellent example of this. I am considered a “city girl,” more accurately termed a town girl or “townie.” My parents are teachers; therefore, I grew up in an environment without the need to plant corn or beans or raise livestock. Yet, our house was on the last street in the southern part of town, surrounded by a farm atmosphere. There was a field in our backyard and another just across the road in the front. It alternated year by year whether one field was corn and the other soybeans.
I was surrounded by the sights and sounds of vast, open spaces; yet our neighbors weren’t miles away — just a short walk down the sidewalk.
Not every “townie” lived like this. Our town had its normal grid of paved streets with brick buildings in the downtown area for businesses. It was not a big city layout, but it was developed nonetheless. However, no matter where your house was in town, you never had to go very far to see a corn or bean field.
My little hometown was nestled in a valley surrounded by the rich, rural areas for which Iowa is known. When I go back for a visit, I still take a few moments to stop and appreciate my surroundings.
This isn’t just specific to Iowa. If you look hard enough, you can find similar contrast all over the nation or even the world if you’re lucky enough to see more of it.
On my recent trip to the east coast, I got to experience the world from two vastly different viewpoints.
We spent several days in Washington, D.C., taking the Metro around the city among the hustle and bustle of the crowds. People in business suits were trying to get places in a hurry; and tourists like us were wandering around trying to act like we knew what we were doing, and, at times, failing.
There were green spaces in the city, but for the most part it was a concrete jungle with zero resemblance to the surroundings of home. I enjoyed my time in the city. Observing people in a different habitat, if you will, is fascinating.
On days we weren’t rushing around the big city, I was relaxing in a cabin in the wilderness of Spotsylvania County, Virginia. My family and I were surrounded by wonderful, natural landscape with trees and lakes all around. It was peaceful, and we had no cell reception to speak of. You felt like you were in a completely different world.
At times, you could picture what it was like in years past. The place we were staying really made you feel like you could be back in the late 19th century, except with electricity and indoor plumbing, of course. Our cabin had a shaded front porch with two old-style rocking chairs and a grill. The scenery was amazing as well with portions of dense wooded areas, which have been preserved over the years. It gives someone a brief glimpse at what the wilderness was like when the Civil War raged. It was nice to feel a little secluded, if only for a little while; but was a complete contrast to the subway and sightseeing in Washington, D.C.
These changes in scenery can be a great thing, because if we spend too long in one setting, we become restless. But these are only my observations. I imagine it’s different for everyone. All I know is I am thankful for the town in which I grew up, tiny though it may be. I was given the chance to experience the peace and tranquility of rural living while sticking to “my town girl ways.” I’m not sure I would want it any other way.
Contact Pam Rodgers at 641-792-3121 ext. 6531 or prodgers@newtondailynews.com