Thursday, December 11, 2008

Small Town Living


Who would've imagined that I'd be back living in a small town again? As a teen I was forced to move from the hustle & bustle of a large city; to a small quaint town...population 2400. The change was enormous, not only did people dress differently, they acted differently. For a "city girl" like me the change was astounding. I couldn't believe the closest mall was a mere hour and a half away. I didn't know that town basically shut down at 6PM, except for the token gas station...it was open until 9. I was forced to live somewhere I felt trapped and limited at a time in my life when all I wanted to do was break all the limits and be free. So you can understand the skewed view I had as a teenager of living in a small town.

As time has gone by, I am once again living in a small town. I've come to appreciate all the benefits of living in a small town. All those things that I saw as hindrances growing up I now enjoy. For example, I don't have to wait in a giant line up to buy anything. When we go out for dinner, we are seated immediately and the fact that the pharmacist knows my name and will help me when I have a question. Knowing that I can go to the grocery store and they will have exactly what I am looking for. That I can go to the butcher and he'll give me free bones to take home to my dogs. Also being involved in all of the community events, and knowing that we are all working towards making our town a better place to live. I love that random people will chat with us about anything. I love that we can ask for directions and learn something new about this place. It's just such a great feeling living in a small town. I now come to see why people do it.

Now that I am older and hopefully a little wiser I can see all the benefits there are to see about living in a small town.