Pros and Cons of Small Town Living

Have any of my fellow bloggers realized the best ideas come to you when you are not able to access your phone or computer to jot down ideas? I am trying to figure this one out as I am still very new to this whole blogging world, but for the last 3 days or so every time I have gotten an idea I was incapable of writing it down and so I spent the next however long it was until I could write trying to remember everything I wanted to write about. Driving, in the shower, or at work are just 3 of the places I have thought of ideas, and usually the best ones. By the time I have access to a computer or my phone, the idea may be there but not as strong, or it may have faded away completely and I spend the next 12 hours trying to remember what it was that I was trying to write about. How about y’all. Where is the craziest place you have thought of an idea, and is this an all the time for you like it seems to be for me, or just on occasion?

Alright, with that out of my head (as that was an idea I had while driving, but didn’t think I could make anywhere near an entire posting about the crazy places I have thought of ideas), I introduce my next topic. Living in a small town. Well, technically a village for me. In fact, I have never lived in a town. Two villages and a city are it for me.

If you have ever watched Gilmore Girls (binge-watching on Netflix currently. 3rd time watching all episodes), you have an idea of small town living. In fact, I feel like my town is quite similar to Gilmore Girls.

Everyone knows everyone.

Alright, well maybe not quite everyone because there was that episode in Gilmore Girls where the girls walked into Luke’s at like 6 am and knew nobody in there other than Ms. Patty.  But when there is two grocery stores, 3 gas stations and 3 bars within almost a 10-mile radius, everyone frequents the same businesses. The people you like and the people you don’t (like Taylor Doose in Gilmore Girls). Just the other day I ran to the store to pick up one item. Just one, in and out. I walk in and recognize the man standing to the right of me, keep walking. I have to grab tartar sauce before going to work. That’s all I am doing. I grab the sauce, I decide to go down the back aisle of the store as to not run into the first guy I saw, and I see another one. This one I know a little bit more. I exchange a friendly smile with him but keep walking. I get through the checkout and of course know the cashier. We exchange pleasantries and I just tell her I am on my way into work but they ran out of tartar so they asked if I could pick some up on the way. I request my receipt so my manager knows how much to refund me (which I think I left on the counter because when I got to work I couldn’t find it). As I am walking out the door one of my friends I roomed with during high school walks in. I take a minute to stop and talk to him, ask how his girlfriend is doing and how work is. I didn’t want to be rude, after all, I lived with them for almost a year rent free when I wasn’t getting along with my family. I got out to my car. 10 minutes to get to work, I will be perfectly on time. And here comes a guy that my boyfriend used to be friends with 5 years ago that I can’t stand and he doesn’t get along with very well. He comes right up to my car, standing there, talking, not moving. “Excuse me, I have to go to work, ” I say. “Well, can you at least be sure to tell Mr. Lazy Lad that I said hi. I have been trying to text him but I can’t reach him. What is his number again”. I repeat to him, “C, I am sorry but I have really got to get to work, I will tell him”. I kind of walk closer as to get him to move and am able to get in my car and drive away. Phew.

Okay, so either too caffed up, or not enough because I was trying to keep my posts shorter and this did not work. Sorry for story time. Either way, knowing everyone can be a pro or con, depending on how you look at it. When I know customers at work treat me nicely, I give them half an extra shot. If I don’t know them or they treat me poorly I go by the books. It’s all about who you know.

There are limited things to do

Especially for teens without a car, or individuals who do not want to drive far. I am lucky being a bartender because getting drunk is one of the only things to do in our community. That or doing drugs, which we are deeply trying to get rid of the harder drugs in our community, and one thing I am not proud of that we have. However my town is very pro marijuana, and I am sure I will post more on this later because many of my friends and loved ones have medical cards. I am trying to stay away from touchy topics and gray areas as I do not want to lose followers or be a negative influence, but I want to share the good and the bad of my life.

You know all the roads

When I say all the roads, I do not simply mean in my one-mile wide village limits, because that would be easy. I do not mean all the country roads outside of village limits either, that would be too easy. I mean just about every single road in a 10-mile radius. I would definitely say this is a pro for many, especially if they may be doing a little drinking or toking up and don’t want to get caught.

There are limited cops

On the other hand, some may just take the main roads because let’s face it, we are in the middle of corn fields. The police do not patrol here often. They are here if needed, but they do not usually patrol our roads. Except for recently, I have seen a lot of them recently. Bringing in county and state, so I am thinking they are trying to bust those that have the hard drugs and remove them from our community, which I am thankful for.

The charm

As wonderful as getting away with drinking and driving, or knowing everyone in your town may be, the charm is what keeps people here. Hospitality. Now, I have never lived in the south so I do not know much about southern hospitality, but I do know in my village, it is real. We take the time to get to know people. One thing of working at my bar/restaurant, that I will NEVER be able to take to another bar or restaurant in the city, is being able to know the people. Not “the guy that drinks Bud and orders a cheeseburger no onions”. Okay, yes, I do get those, but not on a regular basis. I have the ones that I see them walking up and I pour their drink, set it in their spot and greet them with a wonderful “How are ya doin’ today (insert name)”. Followed by questions about the family, work, their latest fishing trip or questions about the sports team they follow. Or those that work at the school, asking how all the kids are doing, because let’s face it, I likely know them or their families. And of course, holding the doors for the elderly couples, turning the music down because I don’t care who is “jammin'” I want my customers to enjoy their meal, and even sitting down next to the ones that I know have a hard time hearing so I am not yelling at them.

And when someone passes

our community mourns. We hold large services for everyone. It breaks our hearts. People that we might not even know well. A guy I knew his name but I wouldn’t be able to pick him out of a line up because I have met him a handful of times. I cried for him and his family when he passed. We have a “celebration of his life” in which the entire family gets together, and doesn’t have to pay anything for their drinks because he was a well-loved man of the community.

It is worse when it is someone we really do know. Someone that we see on a daily basis. And I am sure I will write an entire post about it someday because those are the ones that touch my heart. The ones I will never forget, nor will I ever forget the day they passed. I am thinking of one man in particular right now. It has been almost a year and a half since he passed, but I remember the day like yesterday, and that will never leave.

Go into the city and find an employee that works with customers that can tell you what they were doing the night that one of their customers passed. I am sure there are a few out there, but to most a customer is a customer. To us in small towns, they are like family.

 

And since I went from a happy post to one that is leaving me in tears, I am signing off.

The Lazy Lassie