It is no secret that I was raised with concrete and cookie cutter houses. WE have lived in our small town for nearly 11 years. I remember the first time I visited my husbands hometown like it was yesterday... AZALEA weekend 2001. I saw the sign with total population... my high school had more students in it. I was nervous. Maybe they were too... I doubt it,
It all went dandy, I sat on a front porch sing and drank tea and got to know his family in a slow and easy breezy kind a way. He said hello to everyone as we strolled through the festival and everyone acknowledged me. That was the first time for the rest of my life that in Southeast Missouri I would be someone other than me. I wasn't just me anymore. It wasn't my territory. I was visiting and as long as I was, they would warm and kind and welcoming. I was lucky. But I was HIS girlfriend, fiance, wife. Not the autonomous me that I fought so hard for when I left my nest and flew East.
Fast forward to today and we are settled in our home town with a village of people whom I adore. I love my job. I just wish I would have started teaching sooner. My daughters are involved and loved and soaring. Husband makes a good life for us. We have planted roots.
But every once in a while the what ifs start dancing around in my head about small town vs big city. And lets face it what ifs are never fun...at least for me because I usually am having these thoughts when husband is out of town and I am going to attend church by myself again tomorrow. My wings are flapping a little at the what ifs.
Enter the list: 9 signs You're a Small- Town girl at Heart by blogger howdoesshe.
So here it is:
1. You can fix anything with twine and duct tape. - Nope I am not a fixer at all. I just ask husband or Poppy. Sorry, my mom was the same way.
2. You don't see what the big deal is about locking the front door. I always lock my front door and even daughter number one double checks it habitually. That could be because Daddy is out of town a lot and it makes us feel safe.
3. You get extremely impatient when a line is longer than two people. Well, maybe, but only because life is busy- but I can handle it. I will admit the longer I am here I get crazy when my local grocery store is packed*. Come on people... I am shopping. GO AWAY. * by no means is the store packed, or is there traffic like OC. But it is becoming a new norm.
4. Big buildings make you claustrophobic. I love big buildings and I can not lie!
5. Crowds just aren't your thing. Well, this one as I get older I am realizing I don't like them. Or is it because I may see someone I may know...in that crowd. See number 8.
6. You don't see a problem with getting married young. I got married older...29. It is hard work. But I was busy doing other things before I fell in love for the last time. I have friends that got married right out of high school and others that were in their late 30's. You can't hurry love. But sometimes it can't wait either. You know your heart.
7. You are incredibly creative when it comes to entertainment. I must be incredibly dumb...because I don't know what this means. You make your own fun...you travel...you live. Okay, I do that.
8. When you go to Walmart, you automatically look for someone you know. I see someone every single time I am there that I know. Maybe even more than one. And I try my hardest to avoid Walmart.
9. You secretly like the smell of cow poop. I can't even right now. So I won't.
I read the list and re read it... and it is pretty straight forward that I am not a small town girl at heart. I love many aspects of living in a small town. But on the flip side of that I hope and pray that I am giving daughters enough diversity and culture to be well rounded, accepting people of society.
Look, I am not saying people that have been born and raised generations and generations in a small town aren't well rounded. Some of my dearest friends have lived here forever. They make fun of me about my lack of fishing and hunting knowledge, pronunciations of names, directions that I should know etc. I can take it. I love them that much.
I am also saying that people that live in big cities aren't better than small town folk...although I do know several egotistical peeps that do think they are better because of their zip code. But I am a transplant. I am city girl that has planted roots in a small town. But man, every once in while my wings are flapping to see what is outside the small town for me and my family. And then I wake up and see this...and I think, ahhhhhhh sweetness. You rock my world with this moment.
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