Small Town Living

There are some very real lessons to be learned from growing up and living in small town America. Not everyone grows up living in a media-obsessed family that never spends time together. Here are lessons anyone can learn from the experience. Small town living isn't for everyone.

One of the first things that you learn about small town living is that politics plays a huge part in small town life too. Most people wouldn't believe that small town politics could be just as petty and divisive in a small town as it is in a booming metropolis. The thing is that politics tends to become much more personal in a smaller town, especially when it concerns someone's livelihood. Certain policies and decisions can and do affect people on that personal of a level. As many smaller towns are close-knit, bad blood can remain for a very long time. It isn't easy to rectify political wrongs when everyone living in the rural community knows everyone else, and their families.

The above issue is just one of many that highlights Small Town Living Lesson #2 - People are truly more important than material possessions, and there are some people who keep that fact in mind. If you are a media junkie, you might tend to believe that everyone has turned into a slave to materialism. However cliche it may seem, many people living in a smaller town simply aren't all that materialistic. They tend to value people more than possessions. Some may not have a lot as far as material possessions are concerned, but they have strong ties with family and friends. When you live in a small town, your very economic future might hinge on your neighbors. That was true of people living in rural communities 100 years ago and it is still true today.

As a result, many new to small town living might be surprised to learn that relationships can be much more complex than you'd ever believe. It isn't all that uncommon for people in a rural community to play several different roles that span generations. For example, it is possible to have the same teachers that you parents had, and it is likely that most people living in your community know your parents. In other words, a multi-generational network that truly holds the community together isn't all that uncommon in city such as Omer, Michigan. Much of this interconnectedness is due to consolidated school districts, sports, and the fact that many living in small towns still rely heavily on one or two major employers.

Many who have never lived in a small town or are new to small town living mistakenly believe that no one ever leaves and most people living in rural communities don't have a higher education. While this is true in some cases, it is possible to get a good education, leave, and then come back. Being born into a rural community doesn't mean that you won't get a good education and go on to have a successful college career. It also doesn't mean that you can't come back once you have that education. It just might be a bit more difficult that you'd expect to come back and be successful. Attending a public school (there weren't any other options) in a rural community is a completely different experience from attending a large, inner city public school. People in a small town rally around their school, which is uncommon in larger cities. Often, a larger, consolidated school district, often with one high school, serves three or four small towns. As a result, the school becomes the centerpiece of the area and can be a source of entertainment by way of sports and school plays.

Unfortunately, inner-city schools and rural community schools share one thing in common. There are drug and alcohol issues in smaller towns too. Many people living in larger communities have the misconception that small towns don't experience issues relating to drugs and alcohol. That simply isn't the case. Like everything else in a small town, it is just experienced on a lesser scale. While you might not find much exposure to hardcore drugs such as heroin, the more accessible drugs such as marijuana are readily available. Many make the mistake of moving to a smaller town in an effort to get away from the drug and alcohol influence on their children. It is better, but not a complete solution.

That having been said, many people growing up or living in larger cities get the impression that all people who grow up in small towns lead sheltered, simple lives. That simply isn't the case. You'd be surprised not only the complexity of the lives of some people who grew up and continue to live in small towns, you might be surprised to learn of their experiences as well. Whether their experiences were due to military service, a college education, or other circumstances entirely, most people who grow up living in smaller towns get world experience at some point in their lives. If they don't, their hopes, dreams, and desires are projected onto the complexity of their relationships with friends and family. As many people who live in smaller towns either are self-employed, own a family business, or work in a family business, the ties between family and business can become complex, and even ugly at times.

If you truly take the time to learn about the lives of people who grew up or currently live in a small town, or just learn about the town itself, you might be surprised to learn the truth behind it all. Small town living might not be for everyone, but it does have much to teach surburbanites and city dwellers alike. There continues to be many misconceptions relating to small towns and people who live and grew up there. As you can see, small town living does have its advantages and disadvantages, just like everything else.