Life in a Small Town

Our new "city" is small.  Like 2000 people small.  I haven't lived in a small town since I graduated high school.  The college I attended was in a small Oklahoma town, but I don't count that.  A college town just doesn't have the same feel. Too many strangers are popping in and out all year long.  Some people think 35,000 is a small town.  That would be true if all you had known was Oklahoma City, Amarillo, Austin, etc.  I lived and taught in a 35,000 town. Yes, it does have that small town "feel," but it was never a really small town in my opinion.

I have been amazed and blessed by strangers in this town.  Of course, when you live in such a small town, everyone here knows you are the new guy. There is no Wal-Mart; there is no Jump-N-Jive; there is no chimney sweeper. But, the experiences I have so far have been refreshing. 

#1~On moving day, Doug took the tool box with the allen wrench in it back to our old house to get another load of stuff. I was assigned to getting the beds all put together.  Kennedi's bed required an allen wrench.  I called Doug and he told me there was a parts house on Main Street.  The owner (I think) who is also the town mayor couldn't find the size I needed in his inventory.  So, he loaned me his mechanic's allen wrench from the back of the store.  That wouldn't have happened in our previous city!

#2~I was mailing a package the other day, and the lady at the post office read the return address.  "Oh, I've heard good things about your husband," she says.  In my most cordial and intellegient voice I uttered, "Huh?"    I was taken aback how in the world she knew who I was.  "Your husband is Doug, right? I heard wonderful things about him at the game last week."  Yes, small town people are always at the the Friday night football game and talk about the new people in town.  I don't think in 7 years of going to the post office in our prior town the people at the post office knew who I was.  Just a regular face at the window...

#3~I was at the pharmacy last week looking for some over the counter medicine for Annsley.  It has been a long, long, long time since a pharmacist walked out from behind the counter, asked me questions about her, and picked out the best congestion medicine for her.  I was in such a state of shock.  I must go back and tell him how impressed I was by that.  I just walked out in such a daze of "wow--that is service!" 

#4~Andrei and I usually make a quick run to our neighborhood Thriftway grocery store once a week after we drop off the girls at school.  While I'm paying out, the grocery bagger asks me what car I am in--there are 2 cars in the parking lot so she couldn't tell. (Yes, they bag your groceries and take them outside for you.)  By the time Andrei and I get to the car, she's already loaded all my groceries in my vehicle.  (Of course, this only works if you don't lock your car door.  And I haven't felt the need to lock my door since we moved here.  Ever.  I've just been trying to break the habit of NOT locking it.)

I LOVE all this stuff.  Maybe the new hasn't worn off yet, but it's good so far! I love the fact that my kids are safe.  That they can ride their bikes to the park and chances are slim they will not get run over even if Kennedi doesn't check the traffic at the intersections.  That I'm not sent in panic mode when Annsley leaves the back yard and heads down the alley to see our neighbor without telling anyone.  Doug and I had always talked about moving back to a small town to raise kids as we both came from small towns.  So far it's been a great decision!