Small towns. The Boondocks. The Middle of Nowhere. America’s Heartland. Some of us love these small towns, the sense of freedom and community. Some despise them, decrying the lack of diversity and the perceived boredom. I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma, then moved to a city to attend college. Now, I have fallen into a love-hate relationship with my birthplace.
Love: Freedom. In a small town, you are never more than a 5-10 minute drive from the open country. In my home state of Oklahoma, open country means blue skies, the ability to see for miles, and beautiful sunsets. People who grow up in cities can sometimes deem this as boring, a far cry from the fast life of a big city. However, they will never understand the beauty and the peace that being in the middle of God’s creation brings to us until they experience it for themselves.
Hate: Freedom. Unfortunately, I often find that I’m sitting on my hands when I come home from college for breaks. Sure, being able to escape city life is nice, but I can’t do nothing for a month. A common complaint about small towns is that there is nothing to do. While I think that can be extremely nice in small doses, I can’t stand it for an extended period of time.
Love: Seeing the same people. I have an extremely close knit group of friends from my hometown. We went to school together, played sports together, and did life together. There was none of the temporary friends, social media relationship B.S. We have always had, and always will have, each other’s backs.
Hate: Seeing the same people. While it is awesome to grow up with a close core of friends, the size of the town limits you from meeting other people, people with different political views or faiths. Since I moved to college, I have been challenged to step out of my comfort zone, to grow, and to connect with those different from myself. That never happens in a close-knit, long lasting friend group, because you are pushed towards those who are like you.
Love: The emphasis on faith, family, and country. I am of a firm opinion that American society relies on a strong immediate family, trusting parents to raise and educate their children. I was also taught as a child to love God, and to place the interests of the United States ahead of my personal gain. These are values that can sometimes be lost in the ever-changing inconsistency of city life, but are emphasized in the stable, close-knit atmosphere of a small town.
Hate: The narrow view of the world. While I believe in learning and teaching the value of faith, family, and country, there are others that do not. In the homogenous nature of a small town, the only issues that are discussed are those that are important and affect the residents. In my case, that left out social issues, such as racism, income inequality, and poverty, because my town was fairly good at addressing those issues. Instead, I was exposed to foreign policy, the energy industry, and religious divisions. I feel like the small size of my town prevented me from developing a full understanding of all the complex issues that affect people today.
Love them or hate them, small towns are part of America’s identity. To the city dwellers, embrace the emphasis on family and friends over materials, something that gets lost in the hustle of city life. To the small town folks, embrace the diversity and acceptance of the city. It is easy to hate each other, but do not, because it hurts the hater more than the hated. See the good in each lifestyle and leave the bad.
