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Why I Love My Small Town

World cultures are butting heads and causing devastation and civil war around the planet, tyrants are hanged, massive ice shelves are breaking away from Canada--and my local Small Town paper publishes a list of top ten news stories in the area for 2006.

They include a squabble between Walgreens, which wants to build a new store in a historic district, and locals who want to protect their heritage. It's possible this issue will be put on a ballot next year, but Walgreens is proceeding with plans as if there will be no delay.

The guy who founded a local vocational school died, as did several other community leaders who I have never heard of before so I won't name.

We have an old park that I have described before--it's a jewel in this community with it's band shell, giant trees, stone walls, an antique carousel, and other rides like the ferris wheel. Over the summer, a couple of kids visiting from Florida fell out of the top of their gondola, and the ride has been shut down ever since. The kids are fine, but a commission was brought in to investigate and to determine if the ride was defective or if the kids were misbehaving. Their findings were inconclusive, but the park will have to modify the ride anyway.

And The Wall came for a visit. The Wall is a replica of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington. It travels from town to town and is escorted by hundreds of bikers, quite a few of them being Vietnam veterans. It was a huge deal here, and I'm sorry I missed it. It was here the same weekend as a local art festival and a band concert in the park. Here is a picture from today's front page of a VFW member playing taps at The Wall. Can you imagine the stories this guy can tell?

I love my town.
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Comments

dive said…
Local news is wonderful, Robyn. It's a nice veneer of sanity; a cushion between us and the nasty national news.

I love the bugler. And the travelling wall is a wonderful idea. New generations need to be reminded that - no matter how insane the reason for war - people like them get killed and people like them behave heroically.
I'm a sucker for the obituary columns. Whenever there are old soldiers, sailors or airmen in there, you can be assured of great tales of heroism.

And, as it's that time of year again, a Happy New Year to you and yours!
9:56 AM
Sassy Sundry said…
I just got through reading a bunch of top-tens from the Boston Globe. I like your stories better.

Happy New Year!
11:11 AM
Gina said…
I have never lived in a small town, I can only imagine how different our experiences must be.
11:50 AM
Anonymous said…
Having lived in towns ranging in population from fewer than 2000 to as many as several million, I wholeheartedly agree, Robyn.

When the "Big News Of The Year" is that Billy and Peggy got married, life is good.

I wish that Billy and Peggy were on the cover of Time Magazine's "Big News Of The Year" annual issue.

I think of this blog the same way as you think of your newspaper. When I need a break from the insanity that is my own blog, I come here to see pictures of you as a little girl, or read the latest chapter of Maryann.

Just Sayin' is my quiet little rest stop, where I can relax and just be.

I really can't tell you how much this place means to me.

Thank you, and Happy New Year.
11:34 AM
Scout said…
Dive, my town had a slew of "old buglers." Literally, is an 87+ man who plays taps at Memorial Day ceremonies. He is a WW2 vet, and when he plays, I can't help but weep. What a guy! He goes by Skeetz and he sits behind me in summer band.

Sassy, Happy New Year, honey.

Gina, I have lived in tiny towns, and big cities, and wall-to-wall-people suburbs. There really is a culture shock at first, but I have found a home in my little village.

JanieBelle, this is one of the nicest comments I have ever received. I am glad you have found a place here. Sometimes I wonder that it bores people, but if that's the case, then I bore people. I'd like to think that isn't true.
1:23 PM
Anonymous said…
Not even one little bit boring, Robyn, don't you worry about it.
4:37 PM
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