What being a country Catholic is really like

Michie

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Fantine

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The possibility of telecommuting and using flexible scheduling make country living more possible.

So does online shopping and improved communication options.

But there is a real sense of community and neighborhood in many city neighborhoods as well, where people walk more, share parks and pools with neighbors, etc.

I've lived on NYC and South Dakota and places in between. In SD we lived in the university town, and I still miss it. I thought I would hate SD, but it was the kind of place where my coffee pot was always on and I never knew what interesting people would show up on my doorstep.

So yes, if you know yourself and choose your town carefully the country can be cool.
 
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Michie

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So off the rambling and back to the point of the article.

The Marian Option, unlike the Benedict Option, generally dosen't require anything drastic, like significant changes in one's community, occupation, or location...

A Benedict Option seems like the simple proposal that we continue to engage the world for Christ, yet ensure that we have enough space, especially for our families, that allows for a Christian culture to really exist and grow, instead of living in constant reaction to the increasingly hostile world around us.
 
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chevyontheriver

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So off the rambling and back to the point of the article.
Thanks for the redirect.

I get to travel into and stop in small town America once in a while. There are what I would call really normal small towns and villages out there. But the dominant culture pushes hard everywhere. Radio and TV homogenize us. Not always for the better. Meth is all around, even in the smallest towns, and it's production has a peculiar awful smell. Still, I think we have a chance in that these places of normalcy still exist and can fairly well resist (or at least slow) the imperialism of the dominant culture of death. In my town, not so small and very connected to the big city, the cultural imperialism has it's way, (we resist, but it is a resistance from the underground of an area already occupied) but I do appreciate having seen other places where normal life continues on. When it comes time to bug out, I know where to go.

Reminds me of the song 'John Henry Bosworth' by Noel Paul Stookey
 
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Fantine

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There is a tendency among some to idealize country life and disparage city life, but as someone who lived in NYC and its suburbs the first forty years of my life I experienced lots of community, lots of caring, wonderful relationships with family and extended family.

I have read in Catholic publications about many groups of laypeople living in community in inner cities. Why? Because that's where the need for ministry is greatest. As you said, Michie, it doesn't require drastic changes in occupation or location.

I have found, living in four states as diverse as NY and South Dakota, that we need to bloom where we are planted. I have always tried to do so by seeking the mind-body-spirit nourishment I need for optimum growth wherever I've lived. Sometimes it takes time and effort, but I've always eventually succeeded.
 
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