Signs that I'm where I grew up, and not anywhere else.
-Took my kid to the doctor yesterday. When the pediatrician figured out who I was, he got up and hugged me, because he used to be MY pediatrician.
-Knowing the names of all the neighbors.
-Pumpernickel at the grocery store.
-I don't dare drive aggressively or shoot the bird at anyone, because sure as shit it'll be a friend of my mother's. Doesn't matter that I'm forty years old and my mother's dead. I'll hear about it, and maybe get grounded.
-A county fair as big or bigger than the state fairs in other places. (There were fleeces entered in competition; the grand champion winner sold for $300USD. Crazy.)
-Talking pot roast with the Mennonite lady in line at the grocery store.
-Hot pretzels.
-The town population going up by about 10% when the college students return from summer break.
-Driving half an hour to forty minutes to see a movie, shop for clothes, or find a good book store.
-Farm equipment driven on the roads.
-Visiting from front porch to front porch, admiring grandbabies and having a glass of wine.
-Blaming any kind of petty crime - especially vandalism - on the fraternity boys.
-Flags lining all the major streets on Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, and Fourth of July.
-The lovely aroma of cow shit.
-Fresh milk, eggs, and cheese. White cheddar, yum.
-No flying cockroaches. In fact, no cockroaches at all. I'm sure they're out there, but I haven't seen one in six weeks. No anopheles mosquitoes, either.
-Best regional library, ever. Even if they did move the books around at some point in the last twenty years, and computerized.
-Everything closing at nine PM on week nights, and five PM on Sunday.
-More than one yarn store in an hour's drive.
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15 comments:
Oh Lord, I laughed so hard at the shooting the bird one. This was a great post.
Visiting from front porch to front porch? How lovely!
And actually, I don't really mind the smell of cow shit that much.
You can have it, it sounds like hell on earth to me. I grew up in a place like that and I can't stand going back even to visit. *shudder*
The older I get the more I miss my (NorthWestern PA) home town. Sadly, it's not really there anymore. We have friends who visit and each time they tell us what's closed (now that there's a MallWart) and who's died or moved away. Nice to hear you've found some home town. (And I would get yelled at, too, even though my Mom's gone, too).
I love that feeling. My girls complained that they'd only ever lived in one town growing up. I told them that one day they'd be grateful that they had a place to call home. They're just about old enough now to get it.
i have to source white cheddar. I can't get it out of my mind!
Sounds like you're happy to be home, and enjoying it:)
Oh, lovely, lovely. Enjoy!
--We have farm equipment on the roads, too. :-)
--We trade the summer people for the students. Mostly, I prefer the students. Mostly.
--They don't have white cheddar in Australia? I love white cheddar.
--Our library system kicks ass, too. For such a little state, I think we have awesome libraries. There are AT LEAST half a dozen good branches within easy driving distance, & many are right next to parks and/or playgrounds.
--Sadly, no front porch visiting.
(Now I want to know which college town you're near and if it's the one that gets inundated for football games, like last night.)
it actually sounds cosy to me, I've always wanted to live in a small town
Awesome-- the good, the bad, and the weird!
Sounds a lot like Iowa though I grew up in a city that actually had shopping.
My kids still complain about growing up in our small town where everyone knew them and their parents :-)
Sounds loverly. But then again, I live in NE Ohio. LOL.
I can't act up at home either because wherever I go I get, "Aren't you Hank and Maralee's daughter?" I'd get grounded too. Used to drive me freaking nuts.
Wow - sounds like a wonderful community, something that is seriously lacking where I live. I'd take it any day (well, maybe except for the cow shit smell...although visiting from porch to porch - hell, even HAVING a porch! - would probably be worth it!
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