Reflections on a Small Town

My family and I moved to Alma, Michigan from Phoenix, Arizona in the fall of '99.  The contrast between these two locations is, as you can imagine, like night and day (or Democrat and Republican--choose your analogy).  Looking back, I think I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder about moving to a small town.  I don't want to overstate this.  It certainly wasn't as though I ever out and out disliked being in a small town.  I did, however, occasionally grouse about the local restaurants and the entertainment options (or, as I would have said, the lack thereof) and  I complained about the sparse local newspaper, as it compared with the daily tome I had grown accustomed to in Phoenix.  I think a few "Mayberry" jokes slipped off my tongue in those early months.   I spent the first year or so pining for the activity and the sunshine of Phoenix.

I make mention of this today because recently I have enjoyed a deep and real sense of gratitude for the opportunities I enjoy living in this small town, amid a cluster of small towns, in Gratiot County, Michigan.  In particular, I am thankful for the community I enjoy in this community.  I recently ducked in to the local hardware store to purchase a couple of small items.  I was warmly greeted--by name--by no less than three of the employees.  A day or so later, I enjoyed a brief but enjoyable serendipitous conversation with our mayor, on another day a short but thoughtful exchange with a man I had just met.   While out on a run or doing some shopping, waiting for the  barber or doing my banking, there is enough time, trust and hospitality in this small town for strangers and friends to welcome one another every day. 

I find that this 'public life' adds to the quality of life in ways that are difficult to explain or express.  By 'public life' I mean the many, casual connections that we enjoy on an almost daily basis.  I won't deny that I occasionally miss a wide variety of options for eating out.  And there are certainly days that I miss the excitement of living in a large, metropolitan city.  For now, however, I'm content and enjoying life in this small town.