I was reminded today of one difference between living in
a small town and a larger city.
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It happened at the dentist’s office today when I was there for my semi-annual
cleaning. The hygienist and I were trying to remember the name of a person we both
knew years ago (the hygienist and I go back years, to grade school). As we stumbled
over the name, miscalling it several times, someone from the next room loudly
called it out.
I was astounded, as I have been several times in past
years when this happens. Now I know the person (dentist office employee or
client I know not) felt she was doing us a favor by providing the name we couldn't remember. And yet……
You see, my feeling about such situations is you don’t eavesdrop
on other people’s conversations; and if you should happen to overhear, you don’t
confirm it by joining in their discussion!
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I have had similar situation arise more than one time in
the past years. I suppose it has to do with small town life – where everybody
knows everybody else and in many cases, their “business.”
Being the private person that I am, I don’t share personal
thoughts and opinions with others (except here on my blog!).
And yet, there are some advantages to living in a small town -- where the pharmacist,
grocery store checker, librarian and sandwich shop owner greet you by name;
where if there’s sickness or death in a family, numerous people show up with a covered
dish; where most cars you meet on the road wave or at least raise an index
finger in greeting.
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| google image In small towns such as mine, it's not unusual for a downtown parade to include bikers, dogs on leashes, even riding lawn mowers! |
In small towns, not everyone lives "in town" even. Some like me are a few miles out in the open countryside. This living situation has many advantages.
Like getting up early to watch a glorious sunrise:
Or capturing in pictures the sun sinking in the western sky:
Or being awe-stricken by the beautiful sunsets:
And being able to photograph the full moon without interference from surrounding artificial lights
Tell me some of the disadvantages AND joys of your situation, whether it be urban, suburban small town or rural.
I know just what you mean Sanda: small towns are like that, and everyone knows everyone's business. I left my small town for the city at age 16, but go back to see my Dad, often meeting people who still 'claim' me! So Funny, and they seem to know all about the life of my family. Sometimes it is quite disconcerting.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I miss living in the big city, where I could go out and never see anyone I knew!
DeleteYour story is kind of funny....I live in the suburbs of LA...at the last foot ball game I attended (Rose Bowl) there were 99000 people in the stadium...there are a lot of disadvantages to big city but still I live in small neighborhoods within this big place...my coffee shop neighborhood, my gym neighborhood, my grocery store, etc....it does not really seem large unless I get on the freeways...I miss the open space but I live next to a lot of technology and art...I have lived in very small towns too though and do love the scenery and the community life
ReplyDeleteHappy Wednesday Sanda!
City vs. rural has both their pros and cons. I miss having access to cultural events and nice restaurants and upscale stores. But the solitude of the country is nice as well. Can't have it all!
DeleteEnjoyed your description of small town living. I haven't really lived in a small town since I was about 6 years old. Our Mt. House though is out in the woods surrounded by silence. I can appreciate how much you love the space around you.
ReplyDeleteDarla
It's good you can participate in both worlds! Hope you enjoyed your visit last week to the mountain house.
DeleteI live in a municipality. Six kilometers to it´s centrum.
ReplyDeleteLiving a bit farther away, I don´t bump into people I know that often, which suits me fine.
At the hairdresser´s I might meet someone I know, and some chatting happens.
I find it a bit disturbing ( feeling a bit naked there ), but can´t avoid it.
And is there anything worse than a "chatty" hairdresser? They have you as a captive audience and you can't run away. I have found myself in that situation more than once and it's not comfortable.
DeleteNothing!Ida
DeleteI laughed when I read your experience at the dentist...an interesting spot to be in. I have never lived in a small down so have no experience with it. But I think it must be nice in a time of stress or crisis to have so many care for you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting!
If you've never experienced it, Elizabeth, you might find it difficult to adjust. And you are so right, it's nice to have people around you who shown their concern during difficult times.
DeleteFunny about the dentist experience!!
DeleteI also like not running into folks you know wherever you go, hair dresser, dentist and other service things - it also slows you down when you are trying to get errands done. But I do enjoy seeing friends at scheduled times. Beautiful sunset/sunrise pix; one of the advantages of living in the country.
Well, knowing your local dentist is a good perk. At least you know he’ll take care of your teeth the best way they can.
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel about those awkward conversation butt-ins. While other people in a small town may feel that they know you, and you probably do know them to some extent, butting into a conversation is just plain rude. This is especially true if you just happened to hear them, and they did not only decide to join the conversation, but did so from across the room.
Lon