Growing up in a small town had its fair share of disadvantages. You probably wanted nothing more than to get out of your small town at one point, but overall the love and support shown by a small community is something that trumps all of those disadvantages.
Living in a small town you might have to drive 30 minutes one way just to get some groceries or even fulfill a food craving. But those trips to town with your friends are where relationships grow, random detours are taken and countless memories are made.
Growing up in such a small town, it may seem that everyone wants to know your business, which is probably true. But, most of the time, everyone is wanting to know because they care about you and just want to be able to help you any way they can. Growing up in such a small town you always hear people moan and groan about how as soon as they graduate they'll leave town and never come back. Those people are usually the ones who come back within the next year. Others really do stay away, but instead of continuing to hate the idea of such a small town, they miss it and the amazing people that helped make that community. There probably was a time when you wanted nothing more than to get out of my small town and never look back. But, were sadly mistaken when you did leave and realized people just aren't the same as they are back home and your first visit home after leaving was a trip of excitement and pure joy. Stepping out of your car when you got home and smelling the dirt and the farms, feeling the crispness of the air, being able to lookout on the field and see cows, but most of all coming home and seeing those individuals in the community who impacted you the most and being able to say, 'I’m doing just fine.'
Being able to grow up in such a small town had many benefits. You knew everyone in your graduating class and had personal relationships with all of them. You knew all of the teachers and staff and had known them a good majority of your life. You also knew everyone in the school district (daycare-12th grade), whether it be because they were someone’s little sibling or you knew their parents. You never really had the typical tryouts for sports teams, everyone got to play, on JV or varsity. Also, growing up in a small town, all of your friends’ parents become like your parents, and their family becomes like family as well. But most of all, growing up in such a small community everyone knew who you were and would be there to show support for you no matter the endeavor you embarked upon. Knowing that no matter what you chose in life, the support of such a great community behind you was always such a great reassurance. Having such a great support system is most definitely a major factor in why you are where you are in life.
Without the amazing love and support shown by the small hometown you are from you wouldn’t have the memories and friendships that will last a lifetime.
