Will they cry when they hit bottom?
Heaven knows if they'll survive
This simple country kinda life." - opening to The Simple Life
So it may seem strange that I open this blog with a quote from a Paris Hilton reality show that's already off the air, but it sort of sums up the exploration and adventures I've had this week.
In my Theme Sequence class, our teacher Jana asked us to choose a physical object and a concept that relates to the object we brought into class. I chose livestock as a physical theme and as for a concept, I've begun thinking about the vastly different lifestyles people lead all over the world. The daily habits and actions of one person may be so completely unrelated to another, depending on where they live and how they make a living. In short, I'm interested in the notable differences that distinguish those who lead the more rural, "simple" lifestyle from city dwellers like myself.
This exploration is made a bit more challenging by the fact that it's something I can't relate to on many levels. Usually when I'm asked to explore a concept I choose something that I have some personal experience with so that I can use my own life as an example. In this case, I have to be a little more observant in how people relate to me, each other, and even just the physical world around them. It's these certain distinctions on a physical, emotional, psychological, and even spiritual level that make the rural life seem so foreign to me.
In a sort of happy accident I joined a group of friends this weekend on a day trip to Volterra, a fascinating Etruscan-aged city located on the top of a hill, bound by a fortress-like wall and surrounded by hilly countryside. The difficulty getting there was the first indication that Volterra was a better example of the "simple life" than Firenze; very few buses went to Volterra so we had to take one at 7:10 in the morning and switch in a little city called Colle Val d'Elsa. Once we switched onto our almost-empty bus to Volterra we began one of the most beautiful drives I've ever been on (though a bit winding at times). I got to see sheep, which was exciting only to me because of the subject I was focusing on in Theme Sequence (and I'm sure some were wondering why I was taking so many photographs of them).
Volterra itself was absolutely ancient in a poetic sort of way. Lots of old details were left behind. Even crumbling, undecipherable statues still stood. Evidence of the isolation of the town could be seen by the lack of mopeds; everyone needed cars because everyone had to leave the city for some necessities. There were no Centro Supermercati (or even McDonalds!) But there were sloping, uneven streets and lots of inconveniently closed stores.
But the inconvenience of the streets and shops didn't seem to phase the people that lived there because most of them were seen simply walking the perimeter of the city, watching the beautiful hills below them or chatting with neighbors. The uneven streets made walking difficult at times, but it forced me to actually slow down and pay attention to where I was going. Sun rarely hit the ground because of the closeness of the buildings, but it made me appreciate every patch of sunlight that I did find. As one of my friends commented, "everything is so much more relaxed here!" The locals were mostly elderly and retired, the kind of people that might appreciate this slower pace of life.
Though their general daily pace may be slower, I am starting to discover that the phrase "simple life" may be a misnomer. Like the quote at the beginning of my blog, it's the overwhelming simplicity that might test the strength of a city girl like myself. Even leaving Los Angeles for Firenze has challenged me to solve my problems in a different way than I would at home. Maybe I need to make more than just one trip to the supermarket a week. Maybe I need to accept that the art supply store is closed when I really need something.
At any rate, after hand-washing all my laundry and trying to get the hot water heater back on all this morning, I am starting to think there is no such thing as a "simple kinda life".
-Monica McClain
