Take it from me, living in a small farm town can sometimes be the worst. But after I moved away from my hometown of 3,000 people (2,999 of them being farmers) my outlook really changed. There was a sense of community and friendship in my small town that I have never experienced living in a bigger city. Here are some things I miss to this day about my farm town.
1. Everyone waves to everyone.
The simplest form of greeting someone, a quick wave if you see a friend across the street or in passing on campus. But in a small town, you wave to everyone you see. Driving and see your grandma's best friend's sister's dog-walker? Wave. See the eighth-grade teacher who gave you a C- in algebra even though you deserved a C+? Wave. It's the universal small town sign of "I acknowledge your existence".
2. Small town sporting event? Or excuse to tailgate?
Tailgating is a trademark of small towns. High school football game parking lots filled with pickup trucks and charcoal grills. Parents, teachers, students and neighbors all gather together to grill and discuss their lives since the last week you all got together. It was common to see your theology teacher with a PBR in his hand next to your dad's grill.
3. Getting stuck behind a tractor is a genuine excuse for being late.
I can't begin to tell you the number of times I walked into homeroom 15 minutes late with a group of my peers because we all had gotten stuck behind the same tractor. These bad boys ran the streets, going only about 12mph. But there was no reason to get angry about being late, the person driving the tractor was most likely the crossing guard or the man who lived on the corner.
4. It's a family affair to go grocery shopping.
Saturday morning, everyone including your grandmother would pile into the car to get food for the next week. If your small town was anything like mine, the nearest big grocery store, like Woodman's, was over 40 miles away. It was a family bonding experience, sitting in the car with your siblings for an hour, all holding produce on the way back.
5. You've had the same friends, forever.
These are the kids you grew up with. Kindergarten through senior year there was no escape from the suffocating forced friendships. You were all on the same baseball, football, and basketball teams in a rec league. You all lived on the same street and always ended up all getting a new bike at Christmas. The kids that, even if you parted ways after high school, you still have a killer group chat to gossip about all of your college friends.
6. You thought taxis and cabs were just in movies.
The idea of a taxi is just about crazy as hearing that someone doesn't hunt. There was never a thought that someone didn't have their own car to drive around, or that it was more convenient to take a cab. And how could anyone fit anything in a taxi if it didn't have a truck bed?
7. Hunting is a big thing. REALLY BIG.
The second deer season starts, prepare to see animal carcasses strapped onto trucks and cars for the next few months. Everyone gets the first day of hunting season off, which is smart because nobody would be ready to learn that day anyway. Not to mention the copious amounts of mossy oak clothing littered around the lunchroom.
8. The town knows your life, even before you do.
Your cousin just had a baby? You can bet you'll find out from Cassie at the beauty salon on the corner. Gossip spreads like wildfire in little towns like this and I can say from experience, nobody is safe.
9. Childhood games always seemed to include barnyard animals.
Chances are, if you didn't live on a farm, your best friend did. Summer days consisted of chasing the chickens in the coop, trying to ride the cows, and scaring the goats to see if they'd faint. It was all fun and games till the chickens started chasing back.
10. The simple lifestyle of a small farm town, will always affect how you live.
No matter where you go in life, you'll always have an urge to wave to everyone. There will always be a moment of happiness when you see a tractor in a field, and you will raise your family with the same communal feeling you were raised with. Love your neighbors, and never be too busy to stop and appreciate a golden wheat field.
