Everyone knows about the charm that can only come from a small town, knowing everyone and being close with your neighbors is amazing. Yet, the only way to take the close knit community of a small hometown to the next level is by having a big family. Small town, large family, you are related to half of the people you know and the other half you have been running around with since elementary school. If you are one of those lucky enough to have grown up with a large family and close knit community, then these 7 things will describe your childhood.
1. You can't run errands without seeing
someone you know.
For all the times you have been binge watching New Girl on Netflix with your dogs but suddenly there is an errand you have to run. From Wal-mart to any kind of drive thru, get ready to run into someone you know in your messy bun, faded t shirt, and stained running shorts.
2. "Oh you are so and so's sister/brother/daughter/son"
Meeting people who don't already know some portion of your family tree is out of the question. You always seem to be introduced or recognized because of someone else. This isn't always a bad thing depending on who they know. But sometimes when that middle school teacher had your rowdy older brother, she isn't always too excited to see you in her class.
3. You have name tags at your family reunions.
You are in a large room with too many casseroles to count and a entire onslaught of people are surrounding you chiming, " I haven't seen you since you were this tall." No you do not recognize them, yes you feel bad, and yes name tags are involved because honestly no one can remember that many names.
4. You meet people that you later find out you are related to on the regular.
Your best friend from 3rd grade well she is your cousins by marriage. Your English teacher from high school turns out to be your great aunt. You start to develop a mild sense of paranoia because this is happening so frequently. You find yourself wondering if you are related to random people in big crowds. You catch yourself doing this very thing and wonder if you need to seek help.
5. You can't get away with anything.
From the smallest mistake to a large scale "oops." Someone, somewhere, most likely related to you or a friend of a relative is there to catch you. This isn't a bad thing necessarily, we all need a little accountability, but it in no way lessens the inevitable embarrassment.
6. Sometimes you feel a little famous.
Like it or not, you are constantly running in to people happy to see you. This one can go either way depending on the day and situation. When you are grabbing a last minute cup of coffee before class or running into someone who wants to take a picture to send to your parents because they haven't seen you in forever, it can be a mess. But there is something to be said for being surrounded by friends and family everywhere you go.
7. You are so loved.
If you aren't a social person sometimes having a big family in a small town can be exhausting but at the end of the day you know without a doubt that you are loved deeply. If you ever need help or a familiar face, you don't have to look far.
Small towns are an entirely different world, especially when your family is abnormally large. Yes, running into people when you are trying to run a quick errand or having people know you solely on what they know of your family can be a challenge. But overall if you can relate any of these things then you understand just how amazing small towns and big families are.
