Country at Heart

Disclaimer: This post will likely turn into a bit of a rant and will probably offend a few people, even some good friends of mine.  I'm sorry.  I have no better way to say what I'm thinking.

I've heard this phrase from a lot of people over the years: "I'm from the city, but I'm a country boy/girl at heart."  Every time I hear that I cringe a little on the inside.  The cringe comes from two places.  First, it comes from confusion.  Second, it comes from that little part inside of me that (I'm ashamed to admit) looks down on such folks and says, "you have no idea what you're talking about."  Let me explain.

I'm confused when people call themselves "country at heart."  What does that even mean?  Am I country at heart?  I don't know.  I grew up in the country.  I like being out of town better than being in town.  I like nature.  I drive a pick-up truck and listen to country music.  My favourite pair of pants are jeans and I happen to think that cowboy boots are pretty fashionable.  Does all of that make me "country at heart"?  I don't really think it does.  I think those are just things that were normally around  when I was growing up and they became a part of me as I grew.


Or maybe when people talk about being "country at heart" they mean those elusive, yet admirable characteristics with which people endow the ideal cowboy.  You know the one I mean: that gruff, weathered old man whose handshake is his promise, who helps a neighbour out of trouble, takes no garbage from anyone, and is generally respected by everyone.  It's a well-known ideal, idolized by many who call themselves "country at heart".  I call it just being a good person.  I like to think I'm a good person as a result of my faith in God.  Regardless of one's reason for acting like a decent human being, there are plenty of people who are quite respectable, hardworking, and honest.  Those qualities need not be reserved for cowboys and farmers.


Now for the part that I'm ashamed to admit: I'm a bit of a snob.  Aside from my confusion about what it means, I guess I don't really mind if some people call themselves "country at heart".  However, when those people come from the city, I have to wonder if they have any idea what they are talking about.  Do they know what they mean when they say that?  Are they talking about ideals and missing the good qualities of people from their own neighbourhoods?  Do they just mean they like fresh air and trees?  Maybe they mean they like the country life in general: the people, the fresh air, the open spaces, and the farming community.  That's where I turn into a bit of snob.  How can anyone who grew up in the city know a thing about what it is to live the country life?  How can they understand the various hardships and frustrations that meet us in each season and across many years?  Yes, there are many city folk who spend time in the country, working on farms or at summer camps, but they rarely stay year-round.  You can't understand what country life really is until you live in the country through the good years and the bad, making finances stretch impossibly far and doing things you'd never even think needed doing.


I've ranted enough now.  I'm not even sure what I really want to say on this topic.  Maybe I'm trying to say that the country isn't in one's heart.  The country is a harsh, brutal place to live and work, beautiful though it may be.  Yes, I love living and working on the farm and I wouldn't easily be persuaded to live in a city.  However, it's a hard life, and not at all like you see in the movies or on television.  If someone still wants to call themselves "country at heart,"  I'll try not to be a snob about it.  Just make sure you know what you mean.  The country doesn't hold a monopoly on beauty or desirable personal characteristics.