We grew up in a small town, a very small town. No one knew the population for sure but 15,ooo seemed to be the number we would all finally agree on — it was the largest town in a circle of other smaller communities. Like most kids growing up in a small town — we were always looking for something else… something we thought only existed in any place other than where we lived. We gathered at the lake and spent hours swinging out over the water, jumping from the water falls, leaping from bridges — laughing, swimming, talking. This was our town. The lake was the center of our universe. We would ride our bikes or have someone drop us off — somehow we got there. The majority of our conversations revolved around how we were going to escape our town — when we got older, we could get away.
At night, when it became too dark to enjoy the lake, we would change our location and head to the drive-in or a field somewhere. Fields are very popular locations for hanging out in small towns. We would sit on blankets and cook-out hotdogs and hamburgers, we would feel like adults as we drank the beer we somehow acquired at the local market. We watched the stars and talked about the constellations and saw more than one amazing meteor shower. We would laugh and talk and dream of a time when we would be old enough to leave this town behind.
Sometimes at night, we would gather at the drive-in on the outskirts of town for a double feature. Car hatches popped open, lawn chairs, coolers, friends. The movie never mattered — no one really went for the movie. We went to talk and laugh and be with one another. We went to share stories of the day at the lake — who made the biggest splash off the bridge, who got hurt on the rope swing, who had broken up and who had kissed. We talked about what we were going to do the next day and we would always laugh because we knew the routine so well. We dreamed of the day when we would be old enough to drive away and never look back.
When we were old enough for college, we moved away. We settled on out-of-state schools and schools in the biggest cities and schools that were the farthest away. We grew apart when we left our town behind. We talked to our new friends about all those days we would spend jumping off bridges and cooking out under the stars. We began to count down the days until Thanksgiving break when we knew we would all gather in the alley behind Daddy Billy’s and talk about how we loved our new life and how we loved having things to do and how it was so much more than just a lake and a field and a drive-in. We cried when it was time to return to our new life. We longed for a day at the lake.
When we finished college we settled in new towns and started families and became adults — just like we always dreamed. When our children became old enough, we started to hear the words leaving their lips that always came out of our own mouths — they long to be old enough to escape the small towns we decided to settle in. They long for something to do besides hang-out at the lake, go to the movies, and cheer on the football team. They talk about what they’ll do when they grow up.
We know what they’ll do. They’ll look at the calendar and count down the days until their first Thanksgiving break from college. They’ll watch the miles tick on the car as they get closer to that small town. They’ll see the lake as they cross over the bridge — and they’ll know…they’re almost home.
Rutledge Falls — many sprained ankles and scratched backs acquired here.
Love your blog! Always touches me…sometimes too much. Made me smile when I saw the title, because I grew up in the same small town – just a different name, different county. We were there on Tuesday dropping Dad off from a visit, and Gracie said “I love Pulaski!”. My first honest thought was “not if you lived here.” But, then I saw it through her eyes, and I thought maybe she is right. It is a pretty little town, and it made me appreciate my hometown a little bit more.
Becky, hope you have a WONDERFUL day! Thank you for sharing your heart with us through this blog.
Megan
My day is already better seeing you here Megan!
Thank you for the read and comment — ahhh, Pulaski. Yes, it is pretty there.
Yep, I always enjoy returning home and it’s always hard to leave. Beautiful.
Thank you Brenda! So glad to see you here — and so glad we connected via twitter. I can’t wait to check out your blog!
Hope to see you here again.
And sometimes, after 15 years away, they will decide that the small town they grew up in is pretty awesome and come home to stay.
Yep! Now that’s a great ending to this story — thanks Lori.
You nailed it, girlfriend…plucked my heart strings. Simply beautiful. Thank you.
Yay Cheryl! Thank you so much! I really take that as a huge compliment coming from you!
It has just started with my girls so the emotions run high when getting back home or having to leave again. Our towns are smaller near us like closest ? 200 next one 300 next one 900? This makes city life so different some kids don’t leave & the others have a hard time. John Mayer wrote a song called ‘Stop this Train’ which has a part where the son or daughter is crying as they drive away from home. My youngest noticed my oldest doing that exactly as she drove away, hand on her window. Heart strings pulled tight.
Sue, I really look forward to the day when I might be abale to visit your farm.
I don’t know that song but am going to look it up right now. Leaving home and leaving home towns seem to be one of those things everyone thinks they have to do — but sometimes, they come back and realize it’s where they belong.
Beautiful tribute to living and growing up in a small town B. I love it and can picture my childhood from your story, so similar except we didn’t have a nearby lake. Small towns, have a way of staying with us as we grow up – their tug is always trying to pull us back. lovely, thank you for the trip down memory lane. xo
Thank you c! This was a little different for me so I was nervous about putting it out there! But… since you’re here and you like it, I am happy!
You can leave the small town but the small town never leaves you (or something like that!).
Thanks c!
I love this post- so nostalgic yet also forward-looking. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Allison! Great to see you here — I was just at your blog!
Your writing is amazing, Becky. This allowed me to revisit my childhood…we didn’t live in a small town, just a small community that was our own little world…miles away from stores, malls, movie theaters, etc. We made our own fun and dreamed about how different our lives would be when we finally grew up and got to make our own decisions. If only we had known we were living the best life. Wonderful blog…keep on writing and thanks for sharing your thoughts, feelings and memories.
Thank you Laurette. Kids are mostly the same no matter where they grow up I think. They all have dreams.
Becky,
This piece took my breath away. The flow, the arc was seamless, writing so effective and clean. This is beautiful and evocative prose; so compelling and and full of heart, like youl. I grew up in a small suburban town outside of NYC and although our hangouts might have been different we were all driven to get out and get out we did. Some of us made our way back post college and first West Village pads and others left not only the town but the state.
I am very excited about your progress as a writer- it gets better and better. LOVED, LOVED this. You go, girl. Go, go, go!
Thank you. You’ve left me all mushy and stuff.
I think even the kids in larger communities probably have similar experiences to kids in smaller towns. It always seems better somewhere else for a while.
Becky, that was really,really nice! I grew up in a small town too, and I couldn’t wait to leave when I was 17! I miss it now, though. I haven’t been back in a very long time, but just last summer, I met up with my best friend from high school for the first time in over ten years! She lives in a small town about an hour from where we grew up. The wonderful part was that I went alone because my husband and son were on a trip. I can’t tell you the feeling I had, being in the car, with the music blaring and the window down. All by myself. As a mother, I’m sure you can relate to wanting some ‘me time’ every once in a while ;-). For the past ten years since having my kid, I haven’t had a chance to do that. It was so amazing to have that time where I didn’t have to look at my watch and have to be somewhere! When I got there, I wanted to visit my hometown, but I didn’t have the time. My best friend from HS and I caught up and I got to meet her kids and see her dad again! She and I stayed up late and reminisced about all the crazy things we did growing up there. It was one of the highlights from last year and I’m planning to go again this year, but will probably have my family join me. Thanks again for bringing back the memories.
That’s an awesome feeling isn’t it? I just did that last weekend — went to visit my best friend for the weekend and it was much needed. My oldest is 14 and I’ve never done anything like that before. I plan on going back at some point.
Thanks for reading Linda — great to see you here!