ADJUSTING TO SMALL TOWN LIVING

In case you are not familiar with me and my family, we are THE NEW PEOPLE IN TOWN. We moved to our new home in October, but I have the feeling that we will have the distinction of “THE NEW PEOPLE IN TOWN” for perhaps months, even years to come This is how we are often introduced to others, "This is Chris and Becky - - they are THE NEW PEOPLE IN TOWN." The mobility rate for Blue Mound is not exactly staggering, so we may indeed keep this title for awhile.

Growing up in Mt. Auburn, I have practically doubled the population count from my old stomping grounds through my move to Blue Mound. And joy of joys, I will once again get to wear that hideous kelly green color once Maggie begins 2nd grade at Meridian (Meridian's, as well as Mt. Auburn's school color.) I will also trade an Eagle (Mt. Auburn's mascot) for a hawk (Meridian's mascot.) I seem to have something going here with the green and the birds of prey theme.

Chris also started off life in a small town (Cerro Gordo,) but has lived in Decatur for the past 25 years, and I for the past 14, so we are a little slow to adjust back to small town living. Maggie and Aleita have never known anything but living in a bigger city, so they are only beginning to discover the anomalies of small town life as compared to life in an area with several thousand people. We are constantly getting the question of “who is that?” every time we wave at someone. When we answer that we don’t know, they say, “then why did you wave at them?” Our answer? Because that is what you do in a small town, of course.

It is also an adjustment to rediscover what it is like to live in a community where everybody knows everybody else's business. Someone once said, "The nicest part of living in a small town is that even if I don't know what I'm doing, someone else does." We are finding that to be very true. I am astounded when I meet someone new for the first time, and they know things about me that maybe just happened to me a day or two before. Holy smokes! I never thought I would be the topic of discussion over morning coffee or an afternoon walk. I imagine being "THE NEW PEOPLE IN TOWN" is probably the closest I will ever get to being famous, so I should try to enjoy it while it lasts!