CITY LIFE
“lve been in many of them and to some extent i would have to say this:If youve seen one city,youve seen them all”(Spiro)
When Allah sent men into the world,they built their societies to live,the societies which were over-crowded were called cities amd the societies which were less crowded were called villages.Gone are the days when man’s life was confined to a ertain locality.Because of modern facilities,distances do not matter at all,and the world has become a global village.According to modern economists,one should live in the capital of a country or,at least,in a metropolitan city.This will provide him with ample oppurtunities for his overall growth.
Poets have often praised the country at the expense of the city.Cowper believed”God made the country,man made the town.”But this is a one-sided view.People who live in big cities like London or Lahore,always find something romantic in the villages which they have never visited.
An average citizen in a big city enjoys many facilities.He has all the amenities of life;for instance:education for his children,medical aid when he falls ill amusement parks,cinemas and theatres,social contact with cultured peaple,oppurtunities for rising in business and service.
“A city is not gauged by its length and wid h,but by the broadness of its vision and the height of its dreams”
Education is the sure means of progress.lt is a necessary element for the uplift of mankind.In a big city there are better educational facilities.There are many schools colleges medical colleges and uniiversities which are imparting education to the knowledge seekers.Students all over Pakistan love to come to big cities for higher studies.A big city is usually the centre of trade,commerce and industry.There are offices of big business firms and various government departments so people can get various chances of employment,business and better opportunities of progress.From specialist to layman,all can find something of their interest in city life.Greater the chances of education,greater is the number of scholarly,intellectual and well read people.
“What is the city but the people”(Shakespeare)
People in big cities have various reliable means of transportation.They can travel by air,by train or by bus to another city within the country or to any other country of the world.Facilities like bullet trains,metro buses,taxis have reduced the journeys which took days to hours and journeys which took hours to minutes.The city roads are wide,well cemented and properly drained.
Big cities have the facilities of telephone internet and newspapers to keep the people well informed about the fast changing world of business and politics.The use of computers and internet have brought a revolution in the way people do banking,business and take
education.Moreover,high speed internet has also shortened the distances between people as they can talk to each other at any time of the day,and see each other anywhere.
“The internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow”(Bill Gates)
In a big city,there are better medical facilities.The government and municipal committee run a number of hospitals dispensaries and maternity homes.There are also clinics run by private practitioners and specialists.There are also big and better medical stores having proper medicines of high quality.Hospitals provide people with the services like x-rays ultrasound machines and diagnosis through microscopes,transplantation of various organs of the body,as well as intensive care for the diseased.Moreover,there are a number of charitable organizations that provide medical assistance for the needy.Cities usually have sanitary conditions,such as proper drainage of sewage,proper disposal of garbage and clean drinking water.Moreover,there are provision stores,canteens,hotels and utility stoes to fulfil the needs of the people.
“Today most city governments have departments of sanitation which keep the cities clean and prevent the spread of certain diseases.”
A big city has also its demerits.Nothing is perfect in this world.There is no peace and
relaxation here as we find in the country life or in a small town.There is more loneliness and alienation in a big city,and as result,there are more psychological diseases and mental problems.People here live a very hectic life,and they are caught in a vicious cycle of getting and spending.Big city life is so fast that months and years pass away like days.
Leisure is rare and people do not have time to stay and stare.The world is too much with them.City life is millions of people being lonesome together.
(Henry David)
A man living in a big city is quite often away from nature.There is a saying that a city never sleeps.So,a big city dweller never has a chance to see a sky full of stars or the beautiful scene of sun rising and sunset.The life style here is often unnatural and artificial.People live a mechanical life here and they are often indulged in cut-throat competition.They struggle hard to
surpass others in their mad race of better life style.
Man’s course begins in a garden,but it ends in a city.
(Alexander)
One experiences here all kinds of pollution,like noise pollution,water pollution,air pollution and light pollution.Though people get all kinds of food,tgey can’t enjoy pure and fresh food.They inhale polluted air.The atmospgere in citues is dusty and smoky.Smoke emitting from chimnies of mills and factories cause dangerous diseases of lungs and heart.lt has really spoilt the purity of city life.
“For children,brething the air in the cities with the worst pollution such as Beijing,Calcutta,Mexico City,Shanghai and Tehran is equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day”
(Lester R.Brown)
The city life has also become a den of various problems due.to ever increasing population.The problem of residence is getting bad to worse due to the shifting of people from the villages to cities.People are forced to live in a narrow,dark and small houses due to overpopulation.
“Overconsumption and overpopulation underlie every environmental problem we face today”
Some suitable steps should be taken to provide people fresh air and clean water.the people living in cities should also be awakened.Trees should be planted to ensure clean atmosphere.To put the pre-going discussion in a nutshell,it can safely be opined that life a big
city its own merits and demerits.It is a type of rose with thorns.These thorns disintegrate the very soul of our social fabric because most people have their own axe to grind.
“Life in a big city,though curse we may call it,Is indispensable to survive in the modern era”.
