Lindsay, Ontario

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Downtown Lindsay (Google Maps)

Lindsay is a small town north-east of Toronto, with a population of 16,000.

If you're in-town on a Saturday, you'll likely see an array of plaid, elderly people, cool-guy types in oversized pickup trucks, and groups of teens wandering aimlessly, desperate for excitement.

The sidewalks aren't crowded, and "bad traffic" is almost unheard of. If it's the summer, a section of downtown Victoria Street is closed off, and filled with farmers selling fresh-picked produce and home-baked goods.

But Lindsay isn't limited to town. Lindsay stretches kilometres and kilometres from its paved roads and street lights. Chances are that you live at least a 10 minutes drive from these luxuries. On the way home, you'll likely pass stretches of fields, forests, and farms with animals ranging from abundant cows, to the odd emu.

You may pass a tractor blowing-up dust, meandering down the highway. You might pass a horse-and-buggy or well-dressed gentlemen riding old-fashioned bicycles; Mennonites heading home. You might pass a porcupine, a deer, a wild turkey, or a coyote. You might have to stop your car for a family of ducks to cross the road.

At night, rural Lindsay is quiet, except for wildlife. It’s pitch-black, and the stars stretch across the sky. In-town, everything has been closed since 7 p.m., and by midnight, only a few people are out. Most of them unfavourable.

Life in Lindsay is simple, often mundane. After living there for 13 years, I was more than ready for a change of scenery, and moved to Toronto for school. Culture-shock would be an appropriate word to describe the transition, but two-years later, I love Toronto.

When I lived in Lindsay, its untouched country and quiet lifestyle was overshadowed by Ford-worshipping rednecks, high teen pregnancy rates, and a desire to see the world.

Now, when I leave the bustling city for a family visit, my eyes thirstily absorb the country landscape, I breathe the fresh air deeply, take my time, and enjoy the luxury of driving a car. I watch kinds birds at the feeder that don’t exist in the city, and take walks to nowhere.

So, am I a country mouse or a city mouse? I think I’m a bit of both. You really need one to gain perspective on the other.