There are infinite pros and cons while growing up in a small town. There are some days when the only thing you want to do is escape those dreadful city limits. There are also moments when you reflect on the fact that you wouldn’t be who you are without the small town that built you, the home that nurtured you, the schools that broadened you, the friendships that changed you, and the memories that will never leave you.
Growing up in a small town taught me to value my family first. You stick up for them, and you turn out to be a heck of a lot like them. You support your brother by attending every football and basketball game he plays in, it ends up being a deal breaker if your family doesn’t like the boy you bring home, and at the end of the day they are the people you can really count on.
Growing up in a small town taught me to be loyal. You are loyal to your high school and its sports teams. When you spend every autumn Friday night in the same spot for four years, it will have an effect on you. You may have wanted to leave your hometown the second you graduated, but you will always have a soft spot for your alma mater. You stay loyal to the friendships you’ve had since you were in elementary school and loyal to your friend groups favorite eating spots and coffee shops in town.
Growing up in a small town taught me to be hardworking. My parents taught me what it's like to earn some money. My teachers taught me to work hard for good grades. My coaches taught me to work hard in every practice, game, and tournament. I learned how to work hard to accomplish those goals that small towns take so much pride in, like winning conference for your high school, being on the honor roll, and just making your superiors proud of the young adult you are becoming.
Growing up in a small town taught me to be caring. In a small town, when one person struggles, the whole town feels that burden in some way, shape, or form. Whether it's donating clothes to the family that just lost everything in a house fire, doing a fundraiser for a student’s upcoming mission trip, or driving through the football team’s annual car wash, you support your neighbors because you genuinely care about the people that live within your city limits.
Growing up in a small town gave me courage. It gave me the courage to go off into the world to explore, experience, and discover. I went to a division one university that has so many different cultures, experiences, and values from my hometown. Even though what I’m experiencing at school is different from what I grew up with, I still keep my small hometown values close to heart and mind. Growing up in a small town gave me the courage to be able to go off into the world knowing that I would always have a safety net back home.
Lastly, growing up in a small town taught me how to be proud of how I was raised and where my roots were established. My hometown gave me so much to be proud of. I was proud of our sports teams, I was proud of other classmates, and I was proud to be surrounded by great people. The saying “It takes a community” really hits home with small town individuals because they relate so well to that. My parents were the two that raised me since the day I was born, but my teachers, coaches, classmates, and neighbors helped transform me into the person I am today.
At the end of the day, the pros of growing up in a small town out weigh the cons. I am forever grateful for the values that I learned from my small city limits and the people I met within them.
