what is it about people?
I've been living in cities and towns for much of my life and had got used to how people behave - on public transport, in shops and crowd behaviour.
For nearly 3 years now I've been living in a village - and have got used to this way of being with other people.
So it was a shock to spend 2 days on central London over New Year - sitting in the entrance hall to the British Museum, I looked at more people in 2 minutes than I see in 1 week! Not just the numbers of people amazed me - the behaviour. Nobody sees anybody else. Shop assistants look through you, crowds walk into you and then look at you as though it's your fault, everyone is preoccupied with who-knows-what, and nobody has time to engage.
It feels as though life in rural parts is about engaging and relating. Life in the city is about surviving...
Or am I going soft?
Not soft! But this isn't the entire story!
ReplyDeleteYes - People in London are busy, busy, busy; interaction in public places is limited and it can seem like everyone is so wrapped up in their own need to survive that they have no room, time or care for anyone else. The city can be a desparately lonely place.
There is some good news though! Look at the small community level, you can find people who care, who interact and who have very real relationships which cross social, ethnic and cultural barriers. There is a meeting of worlds, ideas and personalities. People look out for one another, going out of their way to show love, to support and to encourage.
It isn't all bad! :)