These are signs you know you grew up in a small town -- more specifically, Dalton, Georgia. Here are 12 relatable and humorous events and characteristics of my hometown. While some of these are attributes of many small towns, Dalton has a few qualities that make it very unique.
1. Friday night football is basically a religion.
In a small town with a population of about 33,000, there isn’t much to do. You go to school Monday-Friday, church is on Sunday, repeat. Perhaps this is why high school football is arguably one of the most important things to Daltonians. Everyone attends the high school football games on Friday nights and it’s really all anyone looks forward to throughout the week. There’s a different spirit in the air on Fridays. Everyone in school dressed their best, classes weren’t taken as seriously and the halls were decorated with supportive banners. It really is something magical that can only be experienced in a small town.
2. High school rivalries are no joke.
Along with the excitement of the Friday night lights came intense rivalries. Really, they are no joke. Certain schools were known for being "preppy" and others were known for being "redneck." On rival weeks, the student section would either dress mockingly "redneck" or mockingly "preppy" in order to get under the opposing team’s skin. Whoever won these games earned bragging rights for the next year.
3. You would drive by the Walgreens parking lot to see if there was anything going on that night.
The town is so small that there really is only one place kids go to meet up -- the Walgreens parking lot. Sometimes we would go there with no plans at all, run into others doing the exact same and go from there. If you were bored on a Saturday night, your best bet to make plans is to drive by the Walgreens parking lot and see whose car is parked.
4. We are Mexican food connoisseurs.
If you want amazing, authentic Mexican food, look no further than Dalton, Georgia. Seriously. It’s the best. It’s basically all we eat and there are a million "hole in the wall" restaurants with the best Mexican cuisine your tongue will ever taste.
5. Whoever had a farm was obligated to have a bonfire on their property at least once.
Because we had nothing to do, we had to create our own fun. Many residents of Dalton own farm land. Land is a great thing to own, but in this town it comes with the responsibility of entertaining guests with a bonfire.
6. You put “the” in front of business’ names.
You know you’re a true Daltonian when you catch yourself saying things like “the Kroger” or “the Cracker Barrel.”
7. We have weird high school “sororities.”
Yep, you read that right. We have a sorority in high school. No, it’s not recognized by National Panhellenic and no, it doesn’t involve Greek letters. Ever watched the movie “Dazed and Confused?" It’s exactly like that. Pretty bizarre, huh?
8. High school reunions on the holidays are always something to look forward to.
Everyone in this town has basically grown up together since diapers. For those of us that go off to college post-graduation, it actually is kind of sad (no matter how much we complain about living in the small town). When we come home for the holidays, you’re assured to run into at least 50 of your closest friends; whether it be at Kroger, Los Pablo’s, or even the Walgreens parking lot.
9. We had to make the most out of what we had.
Dalton is a town of few activities. It is so boring. Really, it’s kind of sad. However, this forced us to get creative. We made our own fun by hiking the Disney trail, going to the movies, going bowling or even simply riding around with our friends if desperate enough
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10. Getting its first bar is the most exciting thing that has happened in the last century.
This past year, a really controversial and exciting thing happened in the town. In fact, it was arguably the biggest news ever. We got a bar. The conservative, boring, town of Dalton finally got a bar. (Oh, and we got a geo-filter on Snapchat. That was pretty cool too.)
11. We have an annual Cotillion.
Adding on to the list of bizarre traditions in Dalton, GA: we have an annual Cotillion. The Cotillion is the whole 9 yards: long, white ball gowns, gloves, debutantes being presented to society by their fathers -- all of that.
12. Growing up in a small town allowed us to form close-knit friendships that will last a lifetime.
I was born and raised in Dalton, GA. So were my parents, and my grandparents, and their grandparents, etc. Because the majority of the families have been there for literally generations, we know each other pretty well. Our lifelong friendships are formed in Pre-K and grow with us all the way through high school. When we go our separate ways after graduation, we are still not separated at heart. Dalton is a hub for most of us because our parents and grandparents will always live there. When we come back to visit, we get the delight of visiting with our old friends- - and we still feel as close as ever.
