A conversation about city living arose between my partner and I at the dinner table recently. Whilst I enjoy being in the city as a student, in the heart of people and events, my partner had a more reflective outlook on the situation. Despite both of us being raised in the countryside, it seems to have left a bigger mark on him and his inner identity.
I asked him to explain to me why living in the city is so stifling. What I heard was a profound exploration of his inner identity and the impact of nature on his personality and soul.
Here’s what he told me:
“I love nature, but since moving to the city centre I’ve found it harder and harder to find the time to enjoy nature. This makes me feel as though life is slipping away, and I’m not making the most of it.
I wasn’t born to live in concrete walls, I was born to live in symbiosis with the environment around me. This is very hard to achieve in a city centre.
In nature, I feel a sense of adventure. I don’t tend to worry as much about assessments, deadlines, and work, my eyes become opened up to the bigger picture of life. It makes it easier to open your eyes to see where you’re going, instead of where you are.
“In the city, my sense of self gets further from me”
“When I’m trapped in the city, I feel very claustrophobic. Nature is ever-changing, whereas in the city I’m stuck in the same routines and stimuli. There’s very little chance of anything exciting happening, like finding a grand Stag or a buzzard landing in front of me. Instead, I get spat at for looking a bit camp or finding a fresh puddle of sick on my doorstep.
“In the city, my sense of self gets further from me. I find it harder to see where I’m going. Life, and the legacy I want to leave behind, become further from me. Whereas being in nature I get a sense of hope, that I can be happy and have the life that I want. Society can’t dictate how I live my life out there with pay-checks and pensions. In the country, you’re able to be a bit more ‘you’. You’re temporarily away from that expectation of society, it’s more harnessing the sun, making your own energy, and growing your own food, rather than traipsing around Aldi and arguing with OVO.
My personality and potential become muted in the city, whereas when I’m out in the countryside I am liberated, hopeful, and have the space to be myself. The potential for adventure can be found there, and that’s what I want in my life.”
He was born to be feral and wild, in the trees and the seas of the West Coast. You can’t change that inner part of someone’s identity by sticking them in a block of flats and hoping for the best.
This article is from Braw Magazine Issue 3: Identity and Discovery.
Did you know that Braw has a whole section for nature writing? Check it out here.
Featured Image by Alice Pollard
Journalism student at the University of Stirling & BRAW Magazine editor 24/25 and 25/26 🙂
You can see my portfolio here: https://www.clippings.me/alicepollard
