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Miracles In Progress 12 Step Recovery Forums -> Alcoholics Anonymous -> Alcoholics Anonymous -> I'm Back from the concrete wildeness of the city.
Post Info TOPIC: I'm Back from the concrete wildeness of the city.
bikerbill


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I'm Back from the concrete wildeness of the city.
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Glasgow is a beautiful place if you can open your eyes and look. But I've been there for 4 days and nights, for work.

I arrived at 1 p.m. on Monday, worked until 7, went to the hotel, checked in showered shaved ate early night. Then my days went like this, up at 5 to the sound of traffic and reversing lorries, emptying bins and the worlds noisiest air con unit.

Shower, shave dress coffee - at work by 7 a.m., 8 a.m. breakfast, work, 1 p.m. lunch, walk through the city somewhere, anywhere, back to work by 2, work 'till 6, walk back to hotel shower, shave, change, highlight - go to a meeting - then go eat then bed and no darkness, any where, ever.

Repeat this for the next two day brings me to Friday. Up at 5 - it's those damn garbage trucks - at work for 7, breakfast at 8:30, head for home at 10 a.m.

10:30 on the motorway (freeway to you guys) and my first sight of grass and trees and shrubs in 4 days.

Imagine that - no greenery, not even pot plants, for near enough 90 hours straight No birdsong, just pigeons and gulls, no small furry animals, no scent other than artificial perfume and road stink, no big sky, nuthin! Average 4.5 miles of walking a day and no grass, no plants, no flowers, no peace, people rushing about, listening to their Ipods, no interaction except at meetings. (where I meet normal people I can connect with.) A lesson in how to isolate amongst a million people.

Thank God for AA, for grass and trees and birds and mice and eyes to see and ears to hear and a nose to smell.

Now I know I'm no longer a city dweller, I'm a country boy at heart. I need my countryside. I want to wake up in the morning to birdsong and cows lowing and sheep bleating, and I want to fall asleep to the sound of one wild furry beast doing unspeakable things to another. I need my babbling brooks, rushing torrents, meandering slow moving rivers. I need to smell the earth, the plants, even the manure. This is why we have gardens. This is why we put a pot plant on the windowledge.

where I live, a small village, with one church, one pub and one set of traffic lights, is too damn big and busy for me right now, but it's got it's benefits. I'm glad I'm back.

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BB

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Reffner


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Ah yes, the sound of the garbage truck. Nothing like the sound of the concrete jungle to make one appreciate the beauty that is all around us. Glad you had a safe trip Bill.

Brian

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janet


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bikerbill,

Ah, the cities of light,noise,rushing,and to me emptiness.

I moved back to my roots,after years of treking here and there with my telecommunications job. It is amazing how lonely a city with so many people can be.
I'm so glad to have rivers where I can swim, ancient trees rustling, the sight of a rare fox, deers jumping,golden eagles soaring,lakes to fish,trails to walk, camping,familiarity with local merchants,that only comes from living in a small town, or village.
Cities to me now are just a nice place to visit. Cities do have thier pros and cons, though.
Glad you had a safe trip and now back basking in your home and hearth.

Click:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N3N1MlvVc4

J




-- Edited by janet on Saturday 26th of June 2010 10:18:24 AM

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AGO


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I actually liked Stirling and the surrounding countryside quite a bit, Edinburgh was OK and Glasgow was a bit....factory, I loved the Scottish countryside and small towns though, a LOT, you are truly blessed to live there, it's a bit like Northern California without any Americans, what could be better?

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jj


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so glad you had that experience, BB, to get that deep appreciation confirmed that you are where you love to be, and you are truly blessed.
my part of northern california is close to Mt Lassen...  big oaks and conifers (Christmas trees)  deer, turkeys, jack rabbits, skunks, fox, many birds (hummingbirds to hawks, and don't forget the street cleaners, the vultures.
i chose this place to drink in isolation, i still choose it .... to enjoy it more without alcohol.

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cindy


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where i live, the last 10 years they've sold the farms and put condo developements, townhouse complexes. put highways through and built new bridges...its freakin me out! too busy around here for me...i envy your enviroment. (smile)

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Miracles In Progress 12 Step Recovery Forums -> Alcoholics Anonymous -> Alcoholics Anonymous -> I'm Back from the concrete wildeness of the city.