Rural Lifestyle

What is a rural lifestyle?  I am not really sure.  Is it being able to grow your own food?  I know many farmers who do not even have  a garden, but who could say they are not leading a rural lifestyle.  Does rural lifestyle mean knowing and caring about your neighbors?  I went to a block party in Evergreen Park, IL with my son and daughter-in-law last fall.  I was surprised, amazed and pleased to see how many people on the street knew my son and daughter-in-law and seemed to genuinely care about them.  This in near the center of 12 million people.  Is it enjoyment of "wide open spaces"?  I suspect most users of national parks and wilderness areas are "urban" dwellers. 

Thomas Jefferson extolled the virtues of an agrarian society.  Jefferson's comments on the value of agriculture seem to me be idealistic even in his day.  Jefferson had a lot to say on the virtues of people who work the land. 

I grew up in a small town and recently read a newly published history.  Valmeyer had a population of less than 1000 and almost everyone seemed to be involved in agriculture or one generation removed.  I think the values we were taught have served us well whether we stayed in the area or moved on.  Small town people are sometimes looked upon as naive or undereducated rubes, but I would venture that people from "home" have done well no matter what their chosen field of endeavor. 

I currently live in Hillsboro, IL and I see the same values here.  One of the reasons I have stayed here was to give my children the chance to experience a community where people work together to get things done.  Many lament that the "agrarian" virtues have disappeared, but I say they are valued so much that they are found everywhere.