Let's be real, there's just something "special" about life in small town Texas. Some people really love it, other people like it slightly less, and others, like myself, were not fans by any stretch of the imagination. But, no matter how you feel about that tiny town you grew up in, you can probably relate to these things:
1. There Is NOTHING To Do
This is not a joke. When I got bored, I would go to Walmart with a friend. This would be real entertainment. We would literally walk around Walmart and see what new things were out (which, in a small town Walmart, was nothing). Any other forms of entertainment were generally illegal, and I'm pretty lame.
2. High School Football Rivalries
Now this isn't an experience only small town folk understand, but there is something unique about hating a group of kids who live a solid 30 minute drive away. In my town things, would get heated when it came time to play our rival. Fields would be vandalized, cars tagged, and, one year, there were even threats of shootings. This is just one of those fun things that get a little out of hand when the population gets too low it seems.
3. Everyone Knows Everyone
Going out is honestly a chore for an introvert like me. Everywhere you go you see someone that you know. Going to buy coffee creamer ends up being a 30 minute chore as you stop to update everyone on your life. On the bright side, everyone cares about you and how you are doing!
4. Guns
Literally everyone has a gun. Your grandma has a gun. If your dog could have a gun, it would. Upon that, everyone has gun paraphernalia. Whether it's a 2nd Ammendment shirt or NRA hoodie, you never forget you're in small town Texas.
5. Trucks, Everywhere
I heard about a game where you pinch the person you are driving with every time you see a pick-up truck. If you did that in Texas, someone would lose an arm. They are huge, for no apparent reason, and often are accompanied by flags on white PVC pipe and masculinity oozing bumper stickers.
6. In High School, You Do Everything
Generally, jocks are jocks and nerds are nerds. But in a small town high school, there is a lot of overlap. The star quarterback went to UIL State for academics. I was on the swim team, in band and on the debate team. In a small school, there are a ton of open spots to do a ton of different things because of the lack of people. If you're slightly decent at a thing, you may as well do the thing. Small town kids either do everything or nothing; there isn't much of an in between.
7. Mudding
Just... Mudding. If you don't know what that is, ask a friend.
8. "Unique" Culture
All of these strange little things come together to create a culture that is different from the bigger town an hour away. Kickers hang out in parking lots. Convenience stores work as local places to catch up. Schools are simultaneously split up and connected through social groupings that overlap. It's boring, but you find ways to have fun. You go to Walmart for fun. You sit and play with your ridiculous puppy for hours. Small town life is ridiculous, and all of us who have grown up have crazy stories for all ya'll from back home. Love it or hate it, small town culture shapes who we are.
