The funny thing about college is every single semester or every time you enter a new class, you have to do those introduction games, or as I call them: pure hell. Sure, I love learning about my classmates, but I'm going to forget anything they said in 2 days anyway and thinking of "3 fun facts about yourself" really sucks when all you do is binge-watch Gilmore Girls and Orange is the New Black. What's even better is the question: Where are you from? When you're from a town of fewer than 6,000 people, no one knows where you live (even though my hometown is literally an hour north of where my college is). And god-forbid if one bad thing happens in your town, that's the only thing people can associate your town with. So this is for all the people who grew up in our small town.
1. Having to name a few towns near Wilson in order to get people to figure out where you're from.
"You know where Lockport is? Lewiston? Youngstown? Lake Ontario??"
2. When you go to another state and someone asks where you're from and you just say Buffalo; even though Buffalo and Wilson are 2 different worlds.
Which is always followed by "So you must go to NYC a lot right?" because clearly, no one knows geography.
3. You know everyone.
And getting a new kid in school was interesting for the first few weeks until the popular clique got ahold of them and then it was just boring because you now knew everything about them.
4. Everyone knows you.
This can be both good and bad. If you were caught skipping class your parents knew within 3 minutes even if you swore you saw no one while you were out. On the other hand, if you were smart, good at sports, or just did particularly well on a specific day everyone knew.
5. Going grocery shopping is a nightmare.
Because there was only one store in town, you either went there where your entire high school works or you traveled to another town up to 30-minutes away; where you still probably saw some of the people you knew from home.
6. Going to the pier to "hang out" was completely acceptable during any season.
But pretty much because it was the only thing to do. And if you're like me, you still go there when you go home because it's a good place to unwind (and get awesome sunset pictures).
7. Wilson has some of the best sunsets.
Just look at these:
Yes, I did just put this on the list so I could show off my own pictures (no regrets).
8. Brownies was always an option after school, during regents week, or literally any other time you and your friends were bored.
I don't mean the things you bake in the oven. I mean the food stand. Unfortunately, almost all of Wilson has worked there at one point so once again you can't avoid seeing people you probably don't want to see. But they had good food sooo.
9. When one of your friends got a car, you were gone.
Literally, you would hang out with that person every day you could just to get out of town.
10. T&Rs probably has the best subs.
Like, the best I recently met a woman who lives in Youngstown and she even said that T&Rs has the best subs.
11. We hate Newfane.
That's all.
12. Mr. Johnson had the best quotes.
"We do what we're supposed to do, to the best of our ability, and we do it that way every time," iconic.
13. Even if you didn't like football, during homecoming week: you liked football.
Because once again, there wasn't really anything else you had to do on Friday nights.
14. You were basically friends with everyone.
Not like close friends or "start-up-a-conversation-in-a-store" friends, but you knew who the person was, you knew their parents, siblings, cousins and grandparents.
15. During farming season you were basically always stuck behind a tractor while driving anywhere.
16. Wilson has 3 smells: manure, rotten cabbage, and fish.
Either you get near the lake and smell fish or you smell manure and rotting cabbage basically everywhere else (especially after a cold night or a frost, oh my God).
17. Summer is always the best time.
It's when all the fishermen come out, the harbor has boats in it, more stores are open, and the Boat House has live music playing.
18. Everyone goes to field day.
And if you were a firefighter kid (like me), being in the parade was a huge deal because you got to wave to your friends from a fire truck. And you even got to travel with the company to surrounding companies' parades. (Side note, carrying a banner in all black in the dead of summer is very hard when you're a small child).
19. Fish Fry season is your life.
Not only do you have Wilson's, but you can go to literally any surrounding fire hall or restaurant and get one too. Pretty amazing.
20. South Wilson Sunday brunches are also your life.
Basically, Lent is the best season for food.
21. Nevins, Stack, and Mr. Hart were best friends and it was kind of great.
Also, the ugly sweater posters and twin day gave you life.
22. You had favorite teachers and those teachers would help you through anything.
Mine helped me decide my career (shout out to Mrs. Bewely).
23. Going to the races in Ransomville was a typical Friday night in the summer.
You also probably knew around or over half the people racing or at least someone in their pit crew.
24. Bonfires are always a thing.
Whether you were invited to one that weekend or not, you knew there was always one happening.
25. You probably went to Summer Rec. as a child (and you probably led it when you were older).
Those field trips were too good to pass up (I literally only went on field trip days). And your parents wanted you out of the house and their hair for the summer.
26. Thomas Marks had the best playground before they "re-did" it.
The tires were the place to hang out. If you could climb to the peak of the tallest tower you were basically the king of recess, (and if you jumped off you were a god, and you probably had to go to the nurse's office because you definitely broke something). You also probably carved the latest swear word you learned or your name into the wood.
27. Going from middle school to high school wasn't bad because you just had to walk up the stairs every morning instead of going to the middle school wing.
Also, Mr. Goodnight was at every sporting event and every town event taking so many amazing pictures.
28. Getting to do the announcements in elementary school wasn't a big deal because all the students had to do it at some point.
I still remember the one time I lost my voice in the middle of the announcements and they still made me go through the rest of them. Thanks, guys.
29. Becoming a hall monitor or "safety patrol" was the highlight of your school life.
Because when you're in 5th grade everyone below you is a peasant and this gave you an excuse to yell at them for running in the halls. The sash was a terrible color but it gave you power.
30. You probably have a love/hate relationship with Wilson.
You hate it when you're there for too long, but you love it when you leave.
