Some people may say no thank you, to living in a small town but I say YES please! I love living in Cole Camp, MO. I moved to Cole Camp when I was 4 years old. I went to Cole Camp school K-12 (yes it is one school). Cole Camp is dear to my heart as I drive through our four way stop in town sometimes I just think to myself....I love this place. As my whole family knows I just love the life of being a small town gal. Yes it has it's downs such as gossip....wow! But in general life is great in the good ol' town of CC.
Yesterday was a day. I go to work to find out one of my co-worker's house has burnt down and she has nothing left, I mean nothing. I spent all morning going through clothes for her and trying to gather what we could for her. As I go to pick up my daughter from pre school I am telling one of the teachers about this tragic event. Now the lady I am speaking to about this also works part time where I work (she also is the mom of my childhood baby sitter-see small town living--connections every turn you take). She agrees she wants to do something and agreed to go to the store and buy over the counter medications to put in our laundry basket of goodies we were putting together. So I take my daughter back to daycare and head to Dollar General to get items for my coworker and I see a wreck. I pull into Dollar General, wave at my childhood babysitter as she pulled into the parking lot. She waves back then I see her running down the road. IT JUST HIT ME, AHHHH THATS MY OTHER COWORKER THAT WAS IN THE WRECK. So I go running down the road as well. Here she was doing a good deed for someone and gets her car totaled. Some days,,,,wow some days! By the time I got back to work with everything I felt like I needed a drink or high blood pressure medication and it was only 12:00!
The great part about living in a small town. The highway patrol who was called on scene was a child hood friend of mine. His dad and my dad have worked together for over 20 years. The CC chief of police was there, his kids and I went to school together. The ambulance workers, fire trucks etc....I knew everyone. Then a fund was already started where I work, clothes were being donated etc. All of this in just 4 hours. In a time of need you can count on a small town to pull through.
Then tonight I received a message from my aunt requesting a sign to be donated for a young gentleman who works for my uncle. He has had several health issues and has a young family. My answer to her was "Count us In." He has a very hefty hospital bill and the small town neighboring mine is pulling together to do a silent auction to donate money to him and his family. It never fails when times get tough it sure is nice to live in a town of people who really do care.
Follow us on Pinterest, I have created a whole board to small town living. I have heard people say, "There's nothing to do in a small town." This is not true. There is always stuff to do. I remember growing up, playing at the pool, riding bikes all around town, hanging out with my friends, knowing everyone who walked down the street or at the grocery store....there is always someone to talk to (or about...lol). Gravel roads have solved a lot of problems and made many memories. Creeks have served as a great place to play, muddy trails have seen many laughs and good times on four wheelers. Endless open fields served the perfect place to ride my barrel horses, they heard many problems that come with being a teenager (oh I also use to sing to them like I was Reba or Martina...they never complained they just kept walking). The woods have served as a great place to build bon fires and talk. As I have gotten older I love being outside and our neighbor is 1/2 mile away because our driveway is 1/2 mile long. We love being able to sit outside in the summer and the only sounds we hear are coyotes. It's nice to have quiet and living in the country and from a small town quiet is exactly what you get. In a small town when you hear a siren you wonder, "Who," it's not a background noise for us. Of course within a matter of 24 hours you can have all of the information about what had happened maybe even with a few extra details...:) Although we still have a noon whistle everyday!
I am excited about raising my girls in the town my husband and I grew up in. They will go to the same school we went to and even have some of the same teachers who taught us. I am proud to call Cole Camp my forever home. AND yes for those of you who don't know me, I did live in a city when I went to college. It wasn't huge but over 100,000. I will never forget walking into my first college class and the room had 458 students in it. I know I looked like a deer in a head light as the room was filled with as many people as half of my town I grew up in. I enjoyed living there but I was never "at home" there. I would go to the grocery store and I never ran into anyone I ever knew, I would walk down the street and NOPE no one I even recognized. It just wasn't for me.
After my experience I have learned living in a small town although not for everyone is PRICELESS TO ME.
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