After living in a small town for 18 years, I thought for sure I would never miss it when I left for school. I was wrong. I never realized how different the big world was from my small town and area, until I actually left. The thumb is still one of my favorite places and I am so thankful for all it has taught me. Anyone who grew up in the thumb knows how it feels to be apart of something so close knit. Here are a few things the thumb has to offer.
1) Back-Road Cruising
When you watch your typical hopeless romantic comedy based in the middle of nowhere, the scenes of them driving around in a pick-up truck or car are true. It is something to make the hours pass since there is literally nothing else to do.
2) Constant Beach Days
Living in a place where you are 20 minutes from any beach comes in handy in the summer. Since three sides of the thumb are surrounded by water, you have a 75% chance to hit water when you drive in a random direction.
3) Cheeseburger Festival
If you have not experienced Cheeseburger Festival, I highly recommend attending before you die. Its an experience you will never get anywhere else. It consists of beach bums, so many different kinds of cheeseburgers you wont be able to keep track, and the parade of fools.
4) Bonfires
Bonfires are not a random event. Whether it is just you and your family hanging out on a week night or a huge group of friends getting together on the weekend, you will always see a bonfire in the summer.
5) State Land And All It Offers
Exploring State land is one of the many perks of the thumb. Random ponds to swim in, mud to go mud bogging in, and even extra land to hunt.
6) Fishing
Most people from big cities do not fish. In the thumb, you can do it almost anywhere: in a ditch, a pond, a river, or even just the lake.
7) Playing Every Sport
When you have grades made up of less than 100 kids, most of the athletes play every sport. The girl you see on the basketball court is most likely going to be the same girl you see on a softball field. And do not forget that your teams were your family. I played softball with the same girls since fifth grade and they became the extra sisters in my life.
8) Friendly People Everywhere
No matter where you go whether it's Walmart or a basketball game, everyone will say "Hi" to you. Growing up around a small community, you know everyone, so waving to every person you pass on the road becomes a habit. I still find myself saying "Hi" to every person I pass at school and waving to everyone I drive by.
9) Knowing Everyone In Your School
Considering each town only had one elementary school, middle school and high school, you knew everyone and most of the time they stuck with you from Kindergarten until you graduated. My high school was a K-12 which meant everyone from the Kindergartners to the Seniors were in the same building. To this day, I can still recognize kids who were in first grade when I was in eighth.
10) Turnip Rock
Turnip rock was the ultimate canoeing/kayaking destination. You could see the most beautiful sunset from it.
11) Super Close-Knit Community
When something hard hit a family, it hit the whole community. Through my 18 years of living in the thumb, our community has faced many losses and tragedies. To the contrary, everyone has always stuck together and helped those who needed it. Whether it was a barn burning down, a house burning down, a car accident that caused the loss of family members, or even just accidents where we lost someone to soon, everyone was there to pick up the pieces and helped push forward.
12) Mud Bogging
Taking an off-road vehicle (see number 17) or even a truck through the trails in woods, or down an unimproved roads is one of the ways kids from the thumb keep themselves entertained in the spring after its rained a little to much.
13) Sand Road
The famous sand road happens to be the road in the middle of nowhere by Caseville that could be considered the ultimate hangout for everyone in the thumb. From the many bonfires to huge get-togethers, it was the ultimate bonding spot. It is probably the main reason all mechanics in the area are still open as well because it is very unimproved.
14) Hunting
Most people in the area hunt. Whether its deer, rabbits, turkeys, raccoon, squirrels, or pheasants, you will find someone to shoot it for you.
16) Everything Was A Road Trip
If you want Buffalo Wild Wings, considering it a road trip since you have to drive over an hour to get it. If you want to go to the mall, consider it an all day trip considering the closest mall with any kind of good stores was all the way down in Novi which was close to 2 hours away.
17) Off-Road Vehicles
Driving around the country side on a snowmobile, gator, mule, or dirt bike was part of the norm. And no, a Mule or Gator is not an animal.
18) The Teachers Care
The teachers genuinely care for the students and want to see them grow into who they are destined to be. Most of the teachers you had in first grade will be at your high school graduation. And chances are they will remember everything you did as a kid.
19) You Have A Second Family Everywhere
No matter how old you grow, your friends and their parents/family will always be your second family. Seeing them will still bring you happiness even if you have not seen them for six months.
20) Respect Was Key
You were taught at a young age to respect your elders. Holding the door for the people behind you was a key necessity. Please and thank-yous just became a habit as soon as you started to talk.
Growing up in an area where you know everyone is an experience I would not trade the world for. Going home to my close knit community is one of my favorite things to do now that I no longer live there. The area and the people never fail to put a smile on my face.
