Small Town America Where Everybody Knows Your Name

I was born and raised WAY out in the country.  When we said that we were going "to town" we meant Yellville, AR.  It is the county seat and the largest "town" in the county.  It is where we went to school, after riding the bus for more than an hour each way.  It's a small town and just like any other small town everybody knows everybody, or is kin to half of them.

Growing up in such a small town everybody gripes about everybody knowing your business.  I imagine it's that way in every small town.  As a  kid I would tell myself that I couldn't wait to get away from that place.  I wanted to go where nobody knew me or my business.  That never happened.  Except for my college years I've lived in or near small towns.  Life is funny.  I'm now 56 and find myself living WAY out in the country once again.  The kids that live out here board the bus at 6:30 am to make it to school by eight.  Everybody here pretty much knows everybody or is kin to half of them.  Our nearest town is Gainesville, Missouri, the county seat and largest town in the county.  Now instead of going to school there, I teach there.  So it seems, I haven't changed my life a whole lot.  Is that fate or is it a decision that I've made? I don't know but it probably says a lot about my small town roots.

People in small towns do know a lot about everybody's business.  They know who lives where, where they work, go to church, shop, bank, and what kind of life they live.  We can get frustrated about it but it also has its merits.  Those same people know when you need their help, their friendship or support.  Over the years, regardless of which small town I lived in, I've seen pie and cake auctions, fish frys, and benefit tournaments of all kinds held to help someone in need.  I've seen neighbors and friends just show up to help a farmer get his hay in or take care of other chores because there was an illness or injury.  I've seen envelopes with money quietly slipped to someone in need.  This is what people in small towns do.  They look out for one another.  Yes they may know things you don't want them to know but it's good when they know things that they need to.

Today I went "down home" to Turkey Trot.  It's always the same and sometimes I will think about skipping it.  But I'm usually glad that I didn't.  So many times today as my sister, Judith, and I were walking around or sitting on the courthouse fence, countless people said to us "Well there's the Ott girls." or "How are the Ott girls doing?"  And they would ask "Where's your Mom?" or "Is your Mom doing OK?"  Because that's just what small town people do.