Small towns are often known as run down or off the map, but in my case it is the only map I know.  Taking back roads to get from place to place, going a little farther to not take the highways, or getting in a traffic jam consisting of combines and tractors are they ways we travel.  Many people don’t consider all of the factors that we take for granted that some people don’t even know exist. The ability to walk outside barefoot and step on grass, some kids won’t ever see the green grass in the bigger cities.

Just like snowflakes, a drive down a back road isn’t ever the same. Cruising past the fields, some plowed, some still in the process of being harvested, I often get caught in the aftermath of what may seem like fog but is only dust. Farther past the field I will come to a pace of 7 miles per hour as I follow the combine till it reaches it’s destination. Speeding up I have to watch for the farm dogs, excited from the sound of a car, hoping it will pull in their drive.  As I maneuver my way around the dogs I continue on my journey to make it home. Rounding the turn I often get caught staring at the horses in the pasture along side of the road.  Eventually making it to a highway, I cross the railroad tracks as the rumble of a near train awakens in the forest beside the road.  Going past our own field I look to see if anyone is there to almost always find no one to be seen.  In the ravine always being cautious to watch for the deer, as it is their territory, I turn my right blinker on.  After the ravine, I eventually come to a halt in my own drive getting out of my truck with the kittens at my feet.

My small town isn’t on the map but that doesn’t bother me as I know the roads front and back with out a GPS or a map. Keeping our hidden treasure a secret for only the locals to enjoy, Dee and Gees has been my go to pre game meal since my junior high games. Just a phone call away to order my normal meal, chicken tenders and fries, and making it quicker by having them on speed dial. Knowing everybody is a typical trait of those in a small town, getting to know the owners of Dee and Gees, they know my order when I call or walk over to get my meal.

Living in a small town has made an important impact on my life. I have learned to respect my elders and the golden rule, to treat others the way I would like to be treated. The most important value I have gained from a small town life is to never take anything for granted. The ability to see the stars at night is a gift that not many children get to experience. Small town living has given me so many experiences that living anywhere else I would never get have a glimpse of the opportunities my small town has given me.