Small Town Girl

I grew up in a small town (sounds like the beginning of a John Mellencamp song)---St. Paul, Oregon, population 320 or so it was when I was growing up.  Actually, I grew up on a farm 5 miles outside of St. Paul near Champoeg State Park.  But St. Paul was where I went to school.  At the time, St. Paul had a gas station, hardware store, bank, barber shop, farm implement store, feed mill, post office and two taverns.  It is also home to the oldest brick Catholic church this side of the Rockies.  But its claim to fame is the St. Paul 4th of July Rodeo. It is a big event, an honest to goodness PCRA rodeo and organized completely by the community.  
I used to usher at the rodeo when I was in high school, attired in my "Buckerette" outfit (short skirt, Western shirt, vest, hat, and boots).  Yep, we were the St. Paul Buckaroos!  (They still are.)  Most of the people in town are part of the "Rodeo Association,"  the group that puts on the rodeo.  Everybody has some job to do and everyone works to make the rodeo happen.  It brings thousands of people into town over the 4 days it goes on.  It's amazing to think about such a large undertaking being shouldered by such a relatively small group of people but that's how it works in a small town.  It is a community...a place where people work together to make things happen. 


Being part of a small town has its pros and cons.  Everybody knows everybody, which can be both good and bad.  There aren't as many opportunities for expanding one's horizons. As soon as I was out on my own, I moved to a small city.  I loved being where things were "happening."  There was always something to do and places to go.  I met lots of different people, many of whom are still friends to this day.  I really liked living there.  Then I moved to a smaller town, which was a little less hectic but still lots of fun.  I really liked living there, too.


Now I live in Palouse, Washington.  At about 1,000 people it's bigger than St. Paul but it's still a small town.  I'm back to being a farm girl, taking care of about 3 acres (along with Paul, of course).  I'm doing lots of gardening and enjoying being in a quiet place again.  It seems I've come full circle and I'm quite contented with my life and where I live.  Someone I know wrote that those of us living here make a choice to have fewer choices.  I really like that idea.

One thing I've noticed is that this small town has that very same sense of community that I grew up with in St. Paul.  People here help each other out.   Folks wave even if they're not sure who you are.  They show up at events to support each others' projects.  They work together for the sake of the community.  I would say that most folks here in Palouse are happy to be a part of this place, to be living in a small town.  I know I certainly am.