Thursday, December 30, 2010

Reflections

So, I had an interesting experience I want to share, since I think it displays some changes in the way I think now that I live in a "small town." A couple days ago a man I didn't recognize walked into Carter Ag (where I work). Just like I do to every other customer I said, "How's it goin'?", expecting the normal response of "alright" or "Good. You?" Instead, I got a somewhat ornery, "Not so good; I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere without a tire." Now, instead of feeling Christ-like charity for this man (as every good Christian ought), I immediately felt indignant pride swelling within me. A thousand thoughts went through my mind in about a second; let me share: I thought, The middle of nowhere? "Small town" maybe, "the country" maybe, but the middle of nowhere?! Does "the middle of nowhere" have an elementary, middle, and high school? Does the middle of nowhere have a celebration that almost doubles the size of the town every July? Does the middle of nowhere have a gas station complete with a grill that makes just about anything you could ask for? And what about the diversity of people? Does the middle of nowhere have Caucasians, Asians, and Mexicans? People with only a high school degree to boast of and people with their masters degrees? Christians, Catholics, Atheists, and people who aren't sure what they believe? People who have made their millions and live in huge houses on the hill, and people who are content to spend the rest of their life in a single-wide trailer? An auto mechanic, a hardware store, a farm equipment dealership, a hair salon, and a photo studio? I don't think so. We may be small, but "the middle of nowhere" does NOT have that kind of diversity.

Needless to say, I can tell I'm becoming a true blue country girl because a year ago I probably would have thought the same thing as that man without a tire. I probably would have stereotyped the people that lived here, questioned their abilities, and been glad that I didn't live in "the middle of nowhere." Now, my heart swells with pride as I think about all the different people, all the diversity, and the rich tradition that surrounds me here. We have all the same action, all the same diversity, and all the same drama as "the big city"--it's just a little more...concentrated. I'm grateful for that man and the chance he gave me to reflect on my life and the judgments I make. I guess the old adage "you can't judge a book by its cover" is true. You just never know the truth about a place until you experience it first hand.

And in case your wondering, No, I did not say all that was on my mind to our weary traveler. Instead I said a curt, "Ya'll come back now, ya hear?"



*one small note: "hair salon" might be a slight exaggeration, considering that she cuts hair in her kitchen; but, you get the point.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Epic Moments

So, I may be the worst blogger ever. It's been awhile, but I feel the need to blog about a couple of epic moments in my life as a cowgirl. In the last few months, I have done some things I only dreamed of as a child. Ok, I might not have dreamed of this first one, but it was pretty awesome nonetheless. It all began on a rainy night towards the end of October. What seemed like the whole town gathered together under the awnings at the Lund High School for a pot luck dinner. What could possibly induce so many people to stand and eat in the rain on a cold October night, you ask? Homecoming of course! I tell you what, nobody does homecoming like a small town. The only thing celebrated during homecoming week at my high school was the homecoming dance. Our football team never won, most of the alumni had either moved away or didn't care to come back, and quite frankly, we just didn't know how to generate any school spirit. Maybe all that isn't true. Maybe it's just that I wasn't interested. But either way, little Lund, with record graduating classes at 20 students, blew my school of 3000 out of the water. This was perhaps my favorite part of the whole night:

You may be wondering what this lovely automobile is, and I would love to explain. This is an old car painted in our rivals' colors (our colors are blue and gold). The best part about this car, however, is that on the night of the homecoming dinner, you could pay $1 to hit it with a sledgehammer or a baseball bat. I just thought that was hilarious. This is the car after the football team got a hold of it:


Awesome. And even though the cars looked about the same in the end, I'm pretty sure this beats the drunk driving assembly my school had every year before the dance.

But, as if beating up an old car wasn't cool enough, the senior class also put together this gigantic bonfire using pallets they had collected:

Good job senior class! Gotta love the school spirit.


Ok, for my second epic adventure, the one I actually did dream about as a child: Christmas tree hunting! Blaze and I, along with our good friends the Jacksons, drove up into the hills, hiked a ways, and found the perfect Christmas tree!


Here's Blaze and I documenting our first Christmas excursion as a married couple.

Here's the adorable Jackson family with their newest addition, Rex. Isn't he cute?!

Katie and I became quick friends since we moved here around the same time and both had a little adjusting to do, having been raised in the "Big City." She and Chris helped us find our little tree, and then Blaze did all the hard work :)


So It may not look like much here, but with a little razzle, dazzle, and sparkle, we created a masterpiece:

And, of course, no tree is complete without a topper. This homemade one seemed to suit our tree perfectly:


I love how short and chubby it is. Christmas trees, much like little kids, are always cuter when they're short and chubby.

So anyway, these adventures have only confirmed my previous convictions that there are just some opportunities you don't get in the city, at least not without a longer car ride. So, although I still love my hometown and do get a little homesick for a shopping center once in awhile, I'd still trade all that for the community spirit there is here. I love it!