The best thing about living in a small town is that it is easy to get to know people really well.
The worst thing about living in a small town is that it is hard not to get to know people really well.
I lived in a small town for ten months. One day I got my car stuck in the snowbank while backing out of my driveway.
Before I could make it to the garage to get a shovel two neighbors had materialized from nowhere with shovels of their own, ready to dig and push.
I greatly appreciated the effort of course, but the speed of the rapid response team prompted the uncomfortable thought that everyone just sits looking out their window watching the neighbors and waiting for some action, any action.
Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.
Then “Ethel get the shovel. The neighbor’s stuck!”
That experience encapsulated my time living in a small town. On the one hand, everyone is always there ready to help out. On the other hand, everyone is always there ready to help out.
Like I said, I lasted ten months.
