So I recently applied for a job with the well known 'Her.ie' website for Irish women. This is the article I came up with as part of their '10 things' featured pieces
.
My feature Piece on the style of the regular ’10 Things’
Piece.
10 Things that…City People miss out on.
So, we all know that every county in Ireland has its mixture
of city and country folk. When both come together, it can be quite interesting
to see the vast differences between the two and even the major personalities
clashing. According to Dubliners, every county outside of their own is
considered bog land and ‘culchieville’ Even though each county in its own right
has its population of ‘townies’ and ‘boggers’ . So what really is the
difference between them? What do the city folk miss out on that is common place
for the Country people?
Here are ten things that country people pride in
experiencing over their rivals.
(1)
Silage cutting.
Ahhh the annual cutting of silage
during the summer. Whether you actually live on a farm or not in the country,
you most likely live near one, are related to a farmer, or you’re friends with
one. Every year the perfumed smell of freshly cut grass fills the air and the
rows of grass are made to jump over. To country kids, these rows are made into
a game, where you have to reach one end of the field, jumping over every row
without upsetting the grass (god help you if you do!) The whole process is pure
excitement, from seeing the flashing orange lights on the tractors speeding
over the potholes to the shiny black bales and towering silage pits.
2. Lack of Public Transport.
One thing City people take for
advantage is the level of Public Transport. Living in the country, if you don’t
drive yet either you walk, cycle or pray that your parents or siblings will be
home on time to drop you to a friend’s house or a bus to the nearest town. You have to time that one bus that says it
leaves at 9.30 sharp, but really leaves anywhere between nine and ten in the
morning. You learn to drive at the age of five, because let’s face it; you’re
screwed if you don’t at least have your provisional at the age of 17.
3. Animals, everywhere.
So there you are,
making yourself a cuppa in the kitchen and all of a sudden you look out the
window to make eye contact with a few cows and maybe the odd sheep. But it’s
ok, because such and such a neighbour has a new fencing system that’s a bit
dodgy and his animals always break out lately.
4. Sense of Direction.
So, a tourist, or even a townie stops you up while you’re
going for your evening walk and ask you where a certain landmark is. Even
though you know perfectly well where it is, you have to think for a second how
to phrase it because these people aren’t going to understand “down the road
there” or “up yonder”. You have to use actual place names.
5. Sound level.
When your cousin from the city comes down to stay for the
summer and they can’t sleep because it’s so quiet that it’s deafening to them,
meanwhile you’re snoring your head off next door. Also as soon as they hear a
fox crying, that’s it, no more summers at Aunty Mary’s farm in the country.
6. Neighbours.
So in the city, you might know a few people in the houses
around you in the estate, if you’re lucky. In the country, you might know
people as far over as the next couple of villages and of course they’re all
your neighbours that live down the road. “That’s the man with the fancy house”
“there goes herself and her toy boy” “that’s your man that got the new bull”
can all be heard after mass of a Sunday.
7. The Electric Fence.
City dwellers will never understand the excitement that
comes from getting to test the electric fence with a blade of grass. It’s
dangerous and could possibly kill a person if high enough, but that’s part of
the thrill.
8. Beware of the Badger.
Even though the quieter areas of the cities might witness
some wildlife, they are the least of their worries when walking at night. But
to country people, the badger is the scariest thing to run into. Most are
brought up to know that you have to walk with a stick when walking down a country
road at night. Why? Because according to
your gullible mother a badger will bite and not let go until he hears a snap. Hence
the need to have a stick with you to crack and sound like bone breaking and
give her piece of mind.
Never mind masked murderers or killers, a badger could be on
the loose!
9. The lack of…everything!
So you’re craving a bottle of coke, or a pizza and there’s
nothing in the fridge, what do you do? Forget it. Unless you can drive or
persuade someone to drive you to the nearest town, you won’t be able to get
them. Not like the city where you can walk 100 yards to your nearest grocers.
As well as that you also have to get used to the lack of a good internet
facility, no phone reception, less of a social life and not being able to go to
the movies when you feel like it or pop to the shops. All the same, it makes
you appreciate these things more when you do get them.
10. The bog.
You have to listen to the story every time you put a piece
of turf into the fire “there’s no cup of tea like the cup you have in the bog”
from a grandparent or older family member. Then you’re forced to sit down with
your fifth sandwich and mineral drink of 7up to hear stories of times gone by,
that you have probably heard a million and one times.
Still, you wouldn’t trade
any of it!
Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think! :D
Sandy.S
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