An Endangered Way of Life

I’m on a train from Braşov, on my way to spend a weekend in the huge metropolis that is Romania’s capital, and I am thoughtful. I’ve enjoyed my train ride so far; through the window, I’ve caught a small glimpse of rural Romania, of the forests and fields. To be sure, I would prefer to leave my speeding steel cage and explore by foot, but seeing even just a fleeting glimpse of this more natural, calmer world makes me feel a bit at peace. As I enter the city, however, that peace leaves me. I enjoy my weekend in Bucharest; it’s a place teeming with life, where no one is ever bored. Yet, every once in a while, I find myself exhausted by the city, wishing I could return to the countryside and spend the weekend in a more peaceful, greener place. We city-dwellers (and most people these days do dwell in cities, even in traditionally rural countries like Romania) have lost our connection to the land, on multiple levels. The steel and concrete jungles in which we live have an oppressive, unnatural atmosphere, although we often fail to realize it. Take a walk in a relatively untamed area after being in a city for a long time and you will recognize the ill effects city life has on us. The quality of air alone makes a huge difference in our health, both physical and mental. The industrial pollution endemic to Bucharest and most major cities, in addition, alters the weather, making it unbearably hot during the summer for instance. To breathe fresh unpolluted air after having gotten used to inhaling exhaust fumes is a welcome experience. Probably the biggest way in which we have lost our connection to the land, however, is in the food we eat. During my time here in Romania, I’ve learned to distinguish whether produce is naturally, locally grown or not. If you have a particularly delicious tomato, or a particularly tasty bite of cheese, you will find, almost invariably, that it has been bought not from a supermarket, from a small produce market. In comparison, food from large-scale, industrialized farms just doesn’t stand up. I come from the United States, a country where there is no longer any such thing as small-scale or peasant agriculture. I have a feeling that when I go back there, I will be disappointed by the average tomato. What we eat and where it comes from, the air we breathe, and the environment around us all contribute to how we feel, physically, emotionally, and mentally. Here in Romania, a way of life persists in some parts of the countryside that is extinct in most industrialized countries, and is not even possible in many of them. However, this way of life is endangered, as globalization marches on and countries all over the world become more and more homogenous, listening to the same music, wearing the same clothes, and eating the same fast food. Reconnecting with the land, with traditions and an endangered way of life is one of the key goals of The Village, and it is a goal that is essential for the health of our societies, both here in Romania and elsewhere. by Andrew Jones