Whenever I see titles that discuss small town life, I immediately click on the link. I always end up being thoroughly disappointed. I had clicked with the intention of laughing from the many truths within the post however I struggle to find things that I have in common. I now realize this is because I didn’t come from just any small town in Maine. My hometown is different for our history and the fact that most of us are all Acadians. Knowing this, I have made my own list for all the others from my area.
1. You know literally everyone.
I can literally take you through my hometown and point out each house and who lives there. From the little old man who shovels his driveway in the summer time, to the many people I’m related to. Chances are, I also have an interestingly funny story to tell you about each place.
2. The amount of students in your graduating class ranges from a high of about 100 students to a low of about eight.
My graduating class was 23 students and I knew everyone on a personal level. I could tell you what each person likes to do, and even where they work. I even know their parents and probably talk to them more than their kids.
3. If you played one sport, you played them all.
Most of the schools in the area are so small that if each student only played one sport, the school wouldn’t have a full team. This also meant that you knew or recognized other schools players and if you had a rivalry between them, you had to still deal with them during the following seasons.
4. You have a strong love for poutine.
Who would have known that a combination of fries, cheese, and gravy would be your go-to-meal whenever you go out.
5. You get wicked angry when people pronounce ‘poutine’ wrong.
Um, Hello? It’s pronounced a ‘puts-in’, not ‘poo-teen’. However, that isn’t the worst pronunciation of the word I’ve heard compared to ‘poo-teen-e’.
6. You have the urge to follow every emergency vehicle.
Whenever there’s a siren going off in your town, it is a sure sight that five or more cars are following the noise to see the destination. The ones who do not follow are phoned in on the location and are instantly informed that Mr.Smith’s cat is stuck in the tree again.
7. Your idea of a vacation is spending the day on Long Lake.
Long lake is where everyone love to fish, swim, and spend long days and nights lounging around on a boat. In my hometown, it is literally the center of life and almost every business includes the name into theirs. When people ask you what you’re doing this weekend, you reply, “I’m on the lake.” Which is acceptable during every season, considering in the winter we spend our time ice fishing.
8. You have to travel about an hour to get to anything.
Unless you want to go to Canada.
9. You don’t even need a passport to get into Canada.
The Canadian customs officers pretty much know you by name, and understand that you’re crossing the border just to save yourself from an hour long ride.
10. You spend most of your time at Tim Hortons.
A few years ago, a Tim Hortons was built in the town of Madawaska. Since then everyone, young and old, spends their time sipping Timmys and gossiping.
11. You have your own language.
It’s part hick, part Franglish (French and English), and a bunch of other words even we hardly understand. And every time someone asks you what about a slang word you just used, you describe it with another.
Although you could find everyone’s noses in your business 24/7, you wouldn’t have wanted to grow up in any other place.
