Oh, the small town. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you? Everyone knows everyone. Everyone also knows everyone’s business and most likely everyone’s grandparents too. Directions aren’t given with road names or street signs but will likely include phrases like “just go past the old bridge and turn after the Smith’s farm”. Small town life.
I’ve grown up in a small town. My address includes the words “farm road”. No cul-de-sac for me. We didn’t have neighborhood street parties or a community pool. We didn’t farm but we were surrounded by fields and cows. I attended a small (no, smaller…..no, smaller still) school, graduating with 37 people. And we were a big class.
Small town living wasn’t always my dream. As a teenager, I aspired to one day live in the big city (the “big city” being anyplace where you can have pizza delivered to your front door). I assumed I would someday spread my wings and fly away. Turns out, when I flew I landed right across the road from my childhood home and have lived there for the past 20 years. My parents are our closest neighbors.
Our children go to school in the same school my husband and I attended (high school sweethearts, thank you very much) and even have some of the same teachers. Those teachers sometimes call my oldest daughter by my name. That school is ripe with drama and cliques, as is every school in the history of education, but it is also full of school pride and community support. And, man, what a community we have.
This small town will rally behind its members in a way that is almost unheard of nowadays. When a mama of five was diagnosed with cancer, our little town rallied. They sold shirts and gave her living room a makeover and PRAYED. When a young man in our high school was diagnosed with a brain tumor, our little town rallied. They hosted a fundraising pickle ball tournament (not familiar with pickle ball? Google it, it’s pretty neat) and a dessert auction and PRAYED. When members of our community noticed a need for tangible resources for clothes and household goods, they set up a little store called the Purpose Place where all items are donated, sorted, and sold for less than $1. The ladies who run it volunteer their time for this effort. Come on, that is amazing!!
So, yes, small towns have their drawbacks. Sure, everyone knows who everyone is dating, what they wore to dinner on Friday night, who got a new car, and who got pulled over yesterday. But small towns also allow us to recognize what our neighbors need and my particular small town is fantastic about jumping at an opportunity to serve. I might not be able to have pizza delivered to my front door within 30 minutes (or ever…sigh), but I am coming to realize that the benefits of raising our family in this little small town are pretty darn sweet.
Read more of Abbie Mabary’s contributions to allmomdoes here.
