I know everyone in Niskayuna, NY. My family goes to one of our seven local restaurants for dinner. My best friend lives next door, in an almost identical house, and we have single-handedly babysat every child that has biked down our street. The ice cream truck comes down Mohawk Trail at 6:30 p.m. every Sunday, and that’s about all the social interaction the Donohues next door get every week. I know almost all of the 250 kids I graduated high school with, and I see my pre-school teacher buying animal crackers at the Co-Op.
To many, this lifestyle is far from normal, and it may even sound mundane. But, as I have met more and more people and traveled to more and more places, I can’t thank my parents enough for making the decision to raise me in a town where everyone knows my name.
You are not immune to people’s feelings
Sometimes, I meet people who have no regard for how their actions affect others. Whether it’s little things, from slamming into people when walking down the street or holding up the line in Starbucks, or big things, like treating a significant other callously, being around a select few people that I know allowed me to recognize how my actions affect those around me. I grew up knowing that I can’t stop my car in the middle of the street to check my makeup, because Mrs. Reiley behind me can’t get to her hair salon if I’m parked in front of the door. I know that if I take 20 minutes picking out my Starbucks order, Mr. Olsen, the local cop behind me, can’t get to his 8:30 staff meeting on time.
You know everyone, and therefore, know who to trust
My parents had my tennis coach on speed dial in middle school, while my mom was best friends with my fourth grade social studies teacher. We knew what people on the street we could trust with watering our plants or checking our mail, but we also knew which people would stab you behind your back or forget to let your dog out. I can’t imagine not having my neighbor’s number in my phone and not being able to call her and ask her to close the garage door when I rush out of the house and completely forget.
There is a sense of independence and freedom
Now, I know that times are different than they were way back in the day, but all the children on my street STILL play outside every summer night. I rode my bike to my friend’s house until I got my car in my senior year of high school. My parents let me walk to the library when I was seven with my little sister, and let me take the dog to the park and throw the tennis ball for her. Children are becoming less naïve, but it’s a lot easier when you’re growing up in a small town. There is still an opportunity to be a child, whether that’s playing hopscotch on the simmering summer pavement or making snowmen in December.
Everyone looks out for each other
One of my best friend’s moms got extremely sick when we were in fifth grade, so the town decided to help out and make a few meals for the family. Before we knew it, our land line phone was blowing up with phone calls, from our best friends to complete strangers, asking if they could make lasagna or a pot roast for the family. We ended up getting a meal for every night for months; my mom made two meals herself, and the rest were from strangers. It makes you proud to say you’re from your hometown, a place where people truly care about those around them.
You make the most amazing friends in the entire world
When there is little change in your town, you get attached to those childhood friends that you made in kindergarten. They were there for you when your pet fish died in second grade, they tried on prom dresses with you, they brought you ice cream when that stupid boy didn’t call you back, and they walked the stage with you at graduation. They become the rock that you perch yourself up on when you leave this small town. As I see it, even when you leave this town to go to big cities, small cities, countries, or continents, you always have your small hometown in the back of your mind, reminding you of your beliefs, morals, and dreams.
