Small Town Life

 I live in a small town.  Actually, I live in the country outside of town, but as I’ve said, my legal address is Utica, MS.  When I say small, I mean really small.  The population in the city limits is about 800.  The population of the surrounding area is about 1,500.  There are a lot of drawbacks to small town life.  We don’t have a grocery store or a pharmacy.  We do have a medical clinic that’s been a godsend.  We, of course, have a Dollar General, and we can pick up a few basic groceries there if need be.  But no real grocery or drug stores   

But there are many good things about living in a small town.  We know our neighbors and they know us. When there is a celebration, be it a wedding or a new baby, or whatever it may be, we celebrate together. When there is sickness or a death in the community, neighbors and friends are there to support and help however they can. There’s such a feeling of camaraderie and fellowship in every aspect of life in a small town. Today is a good example.  

The church across the street from my church has a soup and sandwich lunch every February.  It’s their biggest fund raiser of the year and funds their mission projects.  The whole town comes.  I just got home from there and I really enjoyed myself! The room was overflowing with people enjoying delicious homemade soups, sandwiches, and desserts.  (I had turnip green soup!  Don’t knock it until you try it!) But the best part is the people.  I had such a good time seeing neighbors, old friends, former schoolmates, a former teacher that I dearly love, and so many people I don’t see often.  Our church used to have a big fish fry every spring and, again, the whole town came. We were famous for our fried catfish!  Sadly, we don’t have enough members to do it anymore and I miss it.  It was a lot of work, but well worth the effort, and so enjoyable. Community events like these are important because they bring everyone together for a good cause   

As I’ve said before, people and relationships are so important in life. The poet said, “No man is an island,” and that’s so true. We need family, friends, and neighbors to have a good life. I wouldn’t trade my hometown for any other place. I’ve been all over the country, but there’s no place like home.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sweet Sixteen

 My granddaughter Mary Elizabeth turned 16 today.  I can’t believe she’s 16.  It seems like she should be 9 or 10, not getting her drivers licence! But here we are.   I told you about her parents, Stephen and Sara, and their “love at first sight.”   It was the same way for me the first time I saw Mary Elizabeth, hereafter called ME. It was a few minutes after she was born. The nurse brought her out to give ME her first bath.  All her grandparents were there staring intently with our noses pressed against the window!  The nurse held her up and she was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. My heart just melted.  I loved her instantly, fiercely, and completely and it’s still the same way every time I see her.   There was a time we thought we’d lose her.  She was born with a condition called craniosynestosis, where the plates in a baby’s skull that are supposed to float to make the soft spot, are fused at birth and don’t allow the brain to...
Read more

It’s Gonna Be Alright

A while back, I told you about the blessing I received from the young man at the pizza restaurant. I want to tell you about another blessing I received.  At a funeral. About 7 or 8 years ago, I was in a bad place in my life, mentally, emotionally, physically, and financially.  I had neglected my business to take care of my father during his struggle with terminal cancer. After he died, I was faced with having to close the business. I had been through a nasty divorce that left me completely broke. My children didn’t want anything to do with me and I couldn’t see my granddaughter. It started taking a toll on my health, mental as well as physical. It was the absolute lowest point of my life   When I thought things couldn’t get any worse, Bill died. Bill worked for my father for over 30 years and had been a part of my life since I was a child. He was a good man and I thought the world of him. So the day of his funeral, I put on my best suit and went to pay my respects.  ...
Read more

Supper Clubs

 I read an article about supper clubs the other day.  When I was a kid, supper clubs were a big thing.  You never hear of them anymore.  Generally, a group of friends, couples, would get together periodically at one of the member’s home and have a big pot-luck dinner.  My uncle and aunt belonged to one for over 50 years. There was even a story about them in the local paper.  They started in the late 1940s when all the men returned from WWII. They were young married couples and none of them had much money.  They would meet every month on the designated Saturday night and rotated who would host the dinner. The hosts provided the meat and the guests provided side dishes and desserts.  They continued the group until the early 2000s when several members died.  My mother’s friends had a lunch group for a while.  There were about 10-12 ladies in the group and they would go out to lunch once a month.  They took up $1 from everyone each mont...
Read more