I have lived in a small town the majority of my short 27 year life and I have lived in a small town ALL of my
memorable life. Every single memory I have is a result of small town living and its effect on raising a family. I have called cities home, towns have been temporary addresses, but I currently reside in a village. The same village my husband has called home for over 28 years. To many this would mean I have been demoted in terms of residential living, but I must admit I spend most days very thankful that the population of my home town is over 50 times smaller than the maximum capacity of Lambeau Field. A young Hispanic woman does indeed stick out like a sore thumb in this town as proven by my initial welcome at the local watering hole and the persistence of neighbors needing to diversify their self-owned businesses. However, most days I put up with the less than mediocre and completely over-rated Mexican jokes spouting from the crackas I call friends because I truly love the camaraderie and comfort that comes from small town life.
I like to think my parents played a large role in this decision. I was much too young to remember the cross-country move my parents, older brother, and I made to central Illinois, but it was that choice that has influenced my opinion of rural areas. Thank you Mom and Dad for choosing to raise me right. Not too many children grow up knowing the name of every classmate (both the jocks AND the nerds). In fact - at my high school the jocks WERE the nerds. Not too many children are raised knowing the principal will come knocking on your door when you skip school or the town gossip at the hardware store beats anything you would ever find on facebook. Urban legends helped form my opinion of certain residents and the most scandalous events took place at the park next door. If your family is experiencing a crisis, there is a hot meal waiting on your doorstep every day until that crisis is resolved. When visitors ask directions to the closest grocery store, you direct them to the combination gas station/fast food restaurant/video store/local market within walking distance. These traits create the quaint environment that I could not live without and could only hope more Americans could witness even for a day.
However - I have but one small complaint regarding small town life. Small town politics are dirty - grimy, grody, disgustingly sleazy dirty. I believe during my adolescent years, I was too naive to notice the unfortunate happenings at city hall, but now that I am a home owning adult the rumors from town meetings are quite disturbing. I will admit that I am not a voice of change in the village and I have done little to correct the slowly building volcanic eruption of the village board so my complaints may fall on deaf ears. I am simply taking this time to vent my frustration with the politics of "who you know" decision making. I would rather be associated with a "what you know" democratic way of life, but apparently secrecy and pointing fingers overrule that citizen promise. If these types of morals and ideals are modeled in small town government, I will no longer question the acts of corrupt leaders sitting in much higher positions. I am happy to hear that dirty political decisions are starting to attract media attention, and I am especially happy that the same village I was bragging about in earlier statements is also home to several proud strong-willed residents who are not afraid to stand up for what is right. Even behind the ugly curtain of dishonorable debauchery, there are individuals prepared to take the stage armed with truth, facts, and knowledge of a distint difference between what is right and what is wrong. My faith in humanity is restored when those individuals receive the opportunity to step up to the podium and voice genuine concern for the future of our generally happy way of life.
Thank you, Small Town America, for you give me something to stand behind. I am hoping my future children will someday understand the importance of what it means to be a supportive neighbor and live in a town where truth and open communication trump secrets and negativity in the character traits of those holding office. I will continue to reside in my little village until those ideals become obsolete. Faith keeps hope alive.
