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julietsierra -> RE: What do you love/hate about your home town? (12/29/2007 7:46:21 AM)
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OH wow...what I love about my hometown.
What I love about my hometown is that I live right across the street from a gentleman who takes a genuine interest in my children. He is the son of the town historians and has stories galore of life around here from when it was nothing but a Chippewa hunting and fishing locale to modern times as told to him by his parents. He's in his 80s and when he was younger, he used to come to our schools to share those stories after his parents had both passed away. Up until this past October, he would go every day as early as he could and spend the day with his wife who was in a nursing home. We'd go outside after snowstorms to find our driveway had already been cleared - he'd gotten out earlier than we did and gotten it all done. He once showed up at my door asking how my son was doing in school. Turns out he'd been planning on taking his grandson to the ballgame but when that young man didn't do well in school, he took my son instead. He does this for most of the young people around here. We take him food and cookies and invite him to dinner so that he doesn't have to cook and be alone. All the neighbors do this.Most of the people around here are like he is. Some of them aren't. We're extra nice to them. Many times, they find themselves being grudgingly nice to us in return. It's the way things are.
What I like about my hometown is that when I moved back after getting a divorce, I took my family to dinner one night. As I was getting everyone back into the car during a snow storm to make the drive home, a couple of men came out of the restaurant where we were and took the brush I was using to clean off my car right out of my hand. I got nervous. They just smiled and said "go ahead and get the car started, we'll take care of this." When I protested that I could manage, they just looked at me and said "This is N.B. This is how we do things around here."
What I like about my hometown is going to football games on a Friday night and discovering all the names on the jerseys are the same names that were there when I went to that school. Now, it's my classmate's families and I sit in the stands with many of the people I went to school with 30 years ago.
What I like about my hometown is the HUGE christmas tree in the center of the street that everyone has to drive around every christmas - and the fact that it's decorated with decorations made by the students at the 5 elementary schools around here. I like that on the first weekend of December, the entire town (for the most part) gathers at the christmas tree, sings christmas carols led by the choirs at the schools and everyone used to walk down the street to the restaurant I was mentioning before to have hot chocolate and say hi to everyone.I say they used to because last year, the restaurant burned down.
What I like about my hometown is the fair that comes every June right around Father's Day. I like that I can ride the ferris wheel to the top and look out over the lake to see the sun glistening and the islands out there looking like little emerald gems. I like elephant ears and riding the rides. Then, after a day there, I take my family home, get cleaned up and head back that night to the beer tent, where everyone over 21 gathers. Inside the beer tent are the carnies, motorcycle gangs, senior citizens and young adults. Everyone gets along (ok, there's the obligatory drunken fight between a few people, but the police are always on hand - their precinct is right next to the beer tent) and we dance the night away. I like the fact that two hours before the parade on Sunday, all the shady spots along the route have been taken and no one is watching anyone's chairs. People simply came, set up their spots, complete with chairs, coolers full of soft drinks and umbrellas, blankets, etc and then went home knowing full well that all their stuff would be there when they came back in 2 hours. I even like the millions of fishflies that the town celebrates in an "if you can't beat em, join em" attitude with the fair. They stink to high heaven and we all love to watch people new to the area going "ewwww." Then we teach them about fishfly kisses and watch new groups of people come to appreciate our locally loved pest.
What I like about my hometown is that the three main churches in town all look exactly alike, with white siding, a huge vestibule with steps leading up to the doors, and giant copper steeples. I like that on Sunday mornings every church bell in town is ringing.
What I like about my hometown is that it's changing. More people are moving in, bringing different cultural aspects with them and for some reason, we seem to be doing things right with all these new groups of people being accepted. Sure we have our problems, but when those happen, people tend to support those who are having the problems and life moves on.
What I like about my hometown is that my family members know that if they ever do anything wrong, at least three people will know about it at all times and they will know people who will know people who will eventually know how to get in contact with me. And I like how we all keep track of those who might otherwise get themselves into trouble and help them stay out of it for the most part. Yes, we do have our crime - some of it big enough to make national headlines (the Selenak murders), but even then, what I like is that our community pulls together in the worst of times.
What I like about my hometown is that it's less than an hour from Detroit, which means I'm close enough to enjoy all the city has to offer (and it's quite a bit, contrary to what some people might think) and far enough out to enjoy all the things that rural living on a lake has to offer. I love boating and theatre and camping and going to concerts in the city on hot summer nights. Here, I can have it all.
What I love about my hometown is that at the ripe old age of 48, I can still have a pollyanna-ish view of the world because for the most part, where I live helps to make me feel safe enough to believe that people are essentially good. Yes, over the years, that's been tempered with a realistic view of people, but still, that idea that the world CAN be a good place if we all work together has held with me.
What I like about my hometown is that for the last 10 years, I've never had to lock my doors at night. Sometimes I do, but for the most part, it doesn't even occur to me that I should.
I've lived in other places, both rural, suburban and urban. I have lived in other states. I can't tell you I love the snow when it shows up in February...and March...and April...(In April, we all "get religion" and figure what God put on the ground, he can take away cause we're sick to death of shovelling snow) but I wouldn't live anywhere else. I've never found ANYWHERE that has the same sense of continuity and community to it.
That's what I love about my hometown.
I tried to think of what I hate about my hometown...I suppose that I'd have to say I hate that I live so far away from my friends. Of course, when they come out on a summer day and exclaim how they wish they lived out here then, it's all good. But on a late night when I'm struggling to stay awake for the drive home, I do wish I lived a bit closer to the places I go at night.
juliet
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