I Should Learn from the City Dog - DARA LY

In the city, everything seemed new and yet fast in motion. I would have to run if I ever wanted to catch up with the city lifestyle. Or else, I would be left behind. I didn’t like to be left behind, so I adapted. On top of that, I knew that I had the best tool to get to the top. That tool was education. My parents worked hard to send me and my sister to study in the city because they hoped that we could be independent and successful one day.

What I knew was very simple: Study! If I had to define my life when I was a fifteen-year-old boy, that would be education.

Who would expect that it could stay with me much longer, even after my graduation from high school and university? Not me! I used to think that after university, I would be done with learning. Nothing could be further from the truth.

However, I was not the only young person who had to move to the city to pursue education. Some of my classmates had chosen the same path. The rest would still continue high school, but they had to go to a faraway school. To me as a young person, 17 kilometers seemed far enough if I had to ride a bicycle.

In the city, I still had to ride my bicycle. Believe me, I didn’t dare to do that on my first day to school. The motorbikes and cars seemed to move so fast that I could barely cross the street. That was normal for city life, but as a country boy, I found it scary and challenging. A few years later, I did learn something else about how to cross the street. From whom?

My friend (Leo) asked me: “Do you know the difference between a city dog and a countryside dog?” 

I said no. He explained to me that the dog from the countryside didn’t care much about its life when it crossed the street because nothing would hurt it. The street was clear, and there were only a few motorbikes. The dog would be safe, according to Leo.

He continued, “But if the countryside dog comes to the city, it wouldn’t last one day because it could be hit by a car when it crosses the street.”

At first, I didn’t think much about it, but later on, I tended to agree with him. He also added that, “The dog in the city is clever. It knows how to cross the street safely.”

Quite an observation! I should learn from the city dog. By the way, this conversation took place while we were on the way to our classmate’s house located in the suburban area. He saw a dog crossing the street like a boss. That’s why he asked me the question.

Even though I wasn’t good at smelling like a dog, I could relate to the city dog, when it came to crossing the street. It might sound dumb to some people, but that was the first important lesson I learned when I moved to the city.

Source Book: Before 30 Years Old  (by DARA LY)

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