I was speaking with a friend today and we touched on the differences between suburban and urban life. Except for the past eight years I lived in the city, then I moved to the country and then to the suburbs.
Besides the room and lack of sidewalks, the biggest difference is the people. Here, they are more laid back, until they hear of a crime, then they get all nervous. They expect the police to drop everything when they call, even if there's nothing to be done. I heard of a case where a woman was indignant because the police didn't come to her home after she discovered a footprint in the snow.
It was evening when she called them. As it was explained later, the 4:oo pm to midnight shift has a total of six policemen on duty for the entire town. Back in the city, we probably had more men on duty in one precinct than are on the entire police force in our town.
When I lived in the country I served on a jury (more about that at a later date) and found the defendant guilty. The other women on the jury were afraid to walk to their cars in the parking lot behind the courthouse because they feared the defendant's family was there to attack them.
There was a time when I was unhappy in the city because of the crime and dirt. I'm glad now that I was exposed to the city, it's made me more aware of the different types of people - good and bad. I'm not always looking over my shoulder in case anyone is following me. I'm not afraid to be on my own. I'm stronger, and I realize I miss the excitement of the city. I wish I had money to throw away, I'd get an apartment for a year in the heart of Manhattan.
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