I find that as I'm away from home for longer and longer periods of time,
I've come to view my hometown differently.
I've always loved Clarinda,
but when I've visited Southwest Iowa again recently,
I find that I get excited for the small, subtle things.
I have a really special place in my heart for small towns.
This past weekend, I went to a Labor Day parade
with my parents in Essex, Iowa,
a town 25 miles (and minutes) from Clarinda.
This was the same Labor Day parade that I grew up attending,
but this time,
after being away from home for over 3 months (?!?)
I saw things differently...
Families lined up along the streets, trying to squeeze into the shady areas.
The piercing sirens from the procession of firetrucks and police vehicles.
Kids willing to wrestle in the street for candy and prizes. (It happened.)
Old farmers proudly showing off their tractors.
"Royalty" from all of the county fairs and small town festivals.
Teenagers sweating through their marching band uniforms.
Blocks and blocks of horses at the end of the parade.
And yes, maybe a few cowboy hats and a mullet or two.
At these small town events,
you can't walk five steps without running into someone you know!
(We ran into my step-cousin, who I haven't seen in 7-8 years!)
The community is a family.
When you're in a rural town,
it's easy to find yourself in a kind of bubble.
It's easy to get lost in the nostalgia of the history of these towns.
And it's easy to forget about your troubles.
Ahh, home. =)
I've come to view my hometown differently.
I've always loved Clarinda,
but when I've visited Southwest Iowa again recently,
I find that I get excited for the small, subtle things.
I have a really special place in my heart for small towns.
This past weekend, I went to a Labor Day parade
with my parents in Essex, Iowa,
a town 25 miles (and minutes) from Clarinda.
This was the same Labor Day parade that I grew up attending,
but this time,
after being away from home for over 3 months (?!?)
I saw things differently...
Families lined up along the streets, trying to squeeze into the shady areas.
The piercing sirens from the procession of firetrucks and police vehicles.
Kids willing to wrestle in the street for candy and prizes. (It happened.)
Old farmers proudly showing off their tractors.
"Royalty" from all of the county fairs and small town festivals.
Teenagers sweating through their marching band uniforms.
Blocks and blocks of horses at the end of the parade.
And yes, maybe a few cowboy hats and a mullet or two.
At these small town events,
you can't walk five steps without running into someone you know!
(We ran into my step-cousin, who I haven't seen in 7-8 years!)
The community is a family.
When you're in a rural town,
it's easy to find yourself in a kind of bubble.
It's easy to get lost in the nostalgia of the history of these towns.
And it's easy to forget about your troubles.
Ahh, home. =)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment