Surrounded by corn and more corn in the middle of BFE (if you know you know), you don’t realize how small town you really are until you experience life outside of it. Growing up in a small town can be a blessing and a curse. Everyone says growing up in a small town is the most boring place to live, but you learn some things along the way that help build you as a person.
Lesson #1: Working at a Young Age
Sure, people in bigger cities also worked, but this is generally a big thing in smaller towns especially on farms. Many teenagers work on their family’s farm growing up. This is because it is convenient for children to work on their parent’s farms and it taught them how to be hardworking, responsible, and the value of a dollar. Not every teenager worked on a farm. Many also work in local stores, restaurants, or at park districts.
If you live near a cornfield, more than likely you also spent your summers detasseling (corn is removing the immature pollen-producing bodies, the tassel, from the tops of corn plants and placing them on the ground). In most towns, you can start detasseling when you turn twelve. It was a great way to make money as a preteen because you got paid a good amount.
Many teenagers in small towns were not able to receive a car from their parents on their sixteenth birthdays, so many worked at a young age in order to purchase some type of transportation.
via Google search of “detasseling”
Lesson #2: Community
Another lesson you learn in a small town is a sense of community. Small towns generally have smaller populations, so the majority of the time everyone knows everyone. With this, it is easy to find people who will help with construction, emergencies, yard work, or anything in general. Growing up in a small town means you learn how to keep up a good reputation for yourself and your family name. It is easy to get caught up into some sticky trouble since the cops usually know where the teenagers get into mischief. Also, small towns usually come together for big events such as fairs, sports, or memorials. Holidays are a huge deal in smaller towns and they help bring families closer together through these community events.
via Google search of “small town fair”
Lesson #3: Brushing off Gossip
One of the downsides of living in a small town is all of the gossips. Everyone knows everyone’s business and word travels fast. This is hard for teens to learn growing up. Teens are trying to figure themselves out and while doing this they have spotlights on them by everyone in the community. Not sure how this is possible, but GRANDMAS KNOW EVERYTHING. It is easy to get caught up in all of the gossip and drama that comes with growing up or in the adult world. No matter where you are in the world, whether it be a small town or big city, gossip and rumors are NOT worth wasting time over. If you know the truth about yourself, that is all that matters because trying to change anyone else’s mind will not help.
via Google search of “Gossip Girl”
Now, to lighten the mood, here are some examples of truths only small town folk understand!
1. Traveling to a bigger city like Chicago was considered a mini weekend vacation.
2. The dating pool in high school was always so shallow that it was hard to avoid dating your friend’s ex, or your ex’s friend.
3. When people asked where you were from, you usually just said “45 min from ___” instead of saying your town name because nobody knew where your town was located.
4. Walking or biking was your way of transportation before you were sixteen.
5. You knew everyone in your graduating class—in your entire school, actually.
6. Local sports was the bizness and everyone in town kept up on the games.
7. People from bigger cities look at you in disbelief when you tell them there was no Starbucks or Target in your town.
All in all, living in a small town is not the worst to grow up in. Here, you can make your own fun, learn a few life lessons, become hardworking, and make a lot of local memories. Then finally, when you become the age to move out, you can travel to bigger cities and see what you have been missing.
Lot’s of Love
Lil Boomer ♡