As a child, we were all encouraged to grow up and make a difference someday. The world needs new leaders and new (fill in the blank) constantly as the old ones retire or die. The goal is that each new generation provide even better service to the world than those who have gone before. What huge shoes to fill?!?!
A very few of us tackle the major, newsworthy careers such as being an ambassador, national political leader, Nobel prize winner, Pulitzer prize winner, astronaut, poet laureate, Medal of Honor winner, renowned performer, etc. Fortunately, many are able to make significant contributions to advances that better our lives. On the other hand, many will never contribute anything beneficial in any form.
I will never be a world leader. I will never be a national leader. I will never be a State leader. But, I can make a difference close to home. Most of us can make a difference close to home if we make that to be one of our important goals. It can be a simple as being viewed as a good role model for others to emulate. It can be donating time as a kids' soccer coach or scout leader or Sunday School teacher or volunteer of many categories.
Those of us who live in Smalltown USA are put in a position of NEEDING TO BE contributors to things for the benefit of the community and ourselves very directly. This goes far beyond the standard civic organizations, kids' programs and general volunteering. The smaller the community the higher the percentage of that community that MUST be givers. One example being a nearby tiny town with about 65 residents of which roughly 20 are registered voters but has a Mayor, City Clerk and five City Council members in addition to the Fire Chief and a handful of semi-able-bodied volunteer fire fighters, plus the one State-licensed guy who keeps the sewer system functioning correctly including keeping the lagoon area properly weed free. What each person contributes is very noticeable and appreciated because if he/she isn't doing that job one of the few remaining capable people will need to start doing it.
This also extends to how we spend our money. Old Joe may sell gasoline for a nickel a gallon higher than the next gas station but you buy your gas from Joe regularly anyway. The nearest gas station is 13 miles away or 26 miles roundtrip. If one of your neighbors sells (whatever) you tend to buy (whatever) from your neighbor. In my case, when a neighbor needs a survey who do you think they call. If the one source of cold drinks after normal business hours is a pop machine plugged in near the entrance to the library and it dispenses Coke products but your prefer Pepsi products, you drink a lot of Coke products and don't complain. When I call to talk with my friend, Chuck, it might have to do with his service on the city council or the wholesale water district board of directors or the church council or the County Waste Management Committee or the trash service at my house or just a social call. Or it might have to do with my service on the township board, rural water district board, cemetery board, historical society board or school board. Or maybe I'm really calling to talk with his wife about her service on the Community Building board of directors or inquiring as to when the quilting ladies at the Methodist Church will have another quilt to sell.
Contribute $500 to some worthy national charity and you might get a computer-generated thank you note six months later. Contribute $500 to the smalltown Fourth of July fireworks display after the community picnic and the show will be twice as long.
Cow
You are a wise bovine indeed!
Thank you for the reminder.
Yes, thank you for the reminder indeed. You're a gentleman and a scholar.
Living in a small community is truly a responsibility. And in my opinion it is not without its rewards.
Although I live in a city with a population of around 100,000...it wasn't always that way. I grew up in a little town in Chaffee County, CO. In the winter the population dropped to around 200. I raised my two boys and they started school in a town with a population of 400.
I'm glad that somewhere on this big blue orb there is still somewhere like that. Peoples lives matter to each other and everybody is usually ready to help a neighbor out. I may be old, but I still believe that is the way "it should be".
A few years ago (she has since passed away) I had an elderly neighbor. My wife and I kept track of her and we kept her daughter's number in case of an emergency. She had a grandson that had kept up the mowing duties for years, since he was little. One summer I noticed another neighbor boy mowing her lawn and assumed the grandson had probably left for college or something. I commended the new neighbor boy for mowing her lawn for her. He told me he was charging her $60 each time...and it wasn't out of the goodness in his heart.
I was appalled. Between the fella that owned the rent house next to hers and myself, we kept her lawn up for four or five years for free. That poor lady probably wasn't getting $500 a month in SS. Things like that are a shame. Progress may be inevitable in our civilization, but we can't lose track of who we are.
Small town living is really living.
When I was young and living in a town with a population of 600 a poor kid couldn't get away with anything. If a relative didn't see you and nail your backside a neighbor (the whole town were neighbors) would tell your folks and you got nailed there.
Conversely if someone was trying to hurt you the whole town was there to protect you. No better way to grow up.
[USER=53]@Stephen Johnson[/USER] I was a small town kid too, and now I am again. there are pluses and minuses, but I prefer this.
In 2004 I moved from a city of over a half-million to a town of about 14,000 people. It is in fact a VERY closed community (found out the hard way) although one would not think so when they visit the local businesses. That said, my neighbors are second to none- good neighbors cannot be purchased. Took a very long time to get to know them, though... that wasn't so in the big city where I lived, believe it or not-
I have always believed in customer loyalty. If I find someone who performs a service adequately and is a 'good person' they get my business.
Our town has under 9k population. I make an effort to support the local business for city sales tax collection etc. Growth is inevitable here.
I bought mylawn equipment at a family owned store about 45 minutes from here in another small town. I think in the last 35 years only 2 people have given me hair cuts.
I knew someone at the Univ. of Ark once who took a intro sociology course that was an auditorium course with a few hundred students. The first day of calls, the teacher asked how many students came from towns that had less people that were in the auditorium. They were surprised that almost a third of the students raised their hand. Myself growing up about 9 1/2 miles from where they drop the New Years Eve ball in Manhattan, I found that to be incredible.
Holy Cow, post: 365376, member: 50 wrote: As a child, we were all encouraged to grow up and make a difference someday. The world needs new leaders and new (fill in the blank) constantly as the old ones retire or die. The goal is that each new generation provide even better service to the world than those who have gone before. What huge shoes to fill?!?!
A very few of us tackle the major, newsworthy careers such as being an ambassador, national political leader, Nobel prize winner, Pulitzer prize winner, astronaut, poet laureate, Medal of Honor winner, renowned performer, etc. Fortunately, many are able to make significant contributions to advances that better our lives. On the other hand, many will never contribute anything beneficial in any form.
I will never be a world leader. I will never be a national leader. I will never be a State leader. But, I can make a difference close to home. Most of us can make a difference close to home if we make that to be one of our important goals. It can be a simple as being viewed as a good role model for others to emulate. It can be donating time as a kids' soccer coach or scout leader or Sunday School teacher or volunteer of many categories.
Those of us who live in Smalltown USA are put in a position of NEEDING TO BE contributors to things for the benefit of the community and ourselves very directly. This goes far beyond the standard civic organizations, kids' programs and general volunteering. The smaller the community the higher the percentage of that community that MUST be givers. One example being a nearby tiny town with about 65 residents of which roughly 20 are registered voters but has a Mayor, City Clerk and five City Council members in addition to the Fire Chief and a handful of semi-able-bodied volunteer fire fighters, plus the one State-licensed guy who keeps the sewer system functioning correctly including keeping the lagoon area properly weed free. What each person contributes is very noticeable and appreciated because if he/she isn't doing that job one of the few remaining capable people will need to start doing it.
This also extends to how we spend our money. Old Joe may sell gasoline for a nickel a gallon higher than the next gas station but you buy your gas from Joe regularly anyway. The nearest gas station is 13 miles away or 26 miles roundtrip. If one of your neighbors sells (whatever) you tend to buy (whatever) from your neighbor. In my case, when a neighbor needs a survey who do you think they call. If the one source of cold drinks after normal business hours is a pop machine plugged in near the entrance to the library and it dispenses Coke products but your prefer Pepsi products, you drink a lot of Coke products and don't complain. When I call to talk with my friend, Chuck, it might have to do with his service on the city council or the wholesale water district board of directors or the church council or the County Waste Management Committee or the trash service at my house or just a social call. Or it might have to do with my service on the township board, rural water district board, cemetery board, historical society board or school board. Or maybe I'm really calling to talk with his wife about her service on the Community Building board of directors or inquiring as to when the quilting ladies at the Methodist Church will have another quilt to sell.
Contribute $500 to some worthy national charity and you might get a computer-generated thank you note six months later. Contribute $500 to the smalltown Fourth of July fireworks display after the community picnic and the show will be twice as long.
Mr. Cow, I think you said a lot of great things here. I think, in my own estimation, that I would sum up your post by saying this:
Be kind to other people. Be especially kind to people who are nearest to your home. Extend that kindness to visitors that come to your home town. The things we do for others right at home may seem like small potatoes to some, but those things are what will grow to make a difference across the entire world.
One of the fascinating things about smalltown/rural living is that after a period of time you start to notice all the linkages that exist around you. Some linkages are family ties and others are business/organization/church/political/social ties. We can learn too much about each other rather simply.
Recently, I was chatting with the 20 year-old cashier at the grocery store. Her grandmother was one year older than me so I can remember her great-great grandmother, Zulah, who lived about three miles from my childhood home. Yesterday, I was purchasing a simple flower arrangement to surprise Mrs. Cow on our anniversary and chatting with the flower shop owner about how so few of our generation will ever have a 50th Wedding Anniversary due to the commonness of divorce. I mentioned how many of those who did reach that goal in years past did so out of stubbornness rather than love. She immediately began to talk about one set of her great-grandparents who never divorced but spent the last 45 years of their lives apart but in the same small town. I joined right in talking about Hurley and Louie with her as Hurley had helped us with farm work for a year or two when I was a young lad. She was surprised that I knew about his artificial leg. That type of scene plays out nearly every day in one way or another in small towns/rural communities. It frightens people who have never been exposed to such closeness.
