I used to think city-dwelling animals were funny. I laughed tenderly at the pigeons nesting in the rafters of City Hall, at how little they knew. They have no idea that everything around them was built by us. They’d never suspect that the entire municipality is run from the building they’re sitting on. To them, buildings are just there, an uncreated backdrop.
Now, I wonder: Am I so different?
I’ve never constructed a building. I scarcely know how a municipality is run. Homes, roads, power grids, bus networks, hospitals, and schools are just there. Like the pigeons, seagulls, and scurrying rats, I dwell in a city I take for granted.
I wonder: What would happen if every citizen participated in their city’s construction and maintenance? If we all took turns building homes, picking up trash, helping out in the hospitals, and managing the economy? Would we appreciate the things around us more, if we got to experience their arduous creation? I believe so. I think we’d complain less, and get along better.
The modern world isn’t a backdrop, but a great feat of work. Without work, we’d still be living at the mercy of beasts and elements. I’d like to be less ignorant of it.