Two Things Are True
All About This Stays Here
Small town life is beautiful.
Small town life is hard.
Of course, I understand that these statements can be said about life anywhere. Big city life is beautiful and hard. Rural life is, too. I imagine people living on the coasts and in border towns and overseas would say the same thing. But, according to the 2020 US Census, this particular life is reality for the majority of Americans. 63% of us live in a small town, and 76% of those small towns boast less than 5,000 people. My small town is home to just over 8,000—practically a bustling metropolis.
When my husband and I moved back to my Iowa hometown from Vancouver, British Columbia, it wasn't because we missed the sweeping cornfield vistas or the fact that the nearest Target would be a 45-minute drive away. We came home because we wanted our infant son to grow up in a place where he could ride his bike around town, run wild with the neighborhood boys, and be a part of a close-knit community. We believed (still do) that it takes a village. Our infant is now twenty, and he and the rest of our five children lived the storybook childhood we wished into being.
Sort of.
The truth is always more complicated than our spit-polished social media feeds would suggest. And while life in Small Town, USA has been a dream, it has also, at times, been a bit of a nightmare. In This Stays Here, I’m going to tell stories, examine small town life, and explore what we can learn about the forced intimacy of living in a place where it often feels like everybody knows your name.
I know there are lessons here, truths that we can use to be better neighbors and more engaged, compassionate global citizens.
Consider yourself invited into my inner circle. If we could sit knee-to-knee, I’d brew you a cup of peppermint tea and begin the conversation with a grin and the gentle admonition: “This stays here.” As in, everything we’re about to discuss is blanketed by a code of silence—that is, if it’s juicy. You can expect a potpourri here… Funny, sweet, poignant, thought-provoking, and yes, we just might spill that small town tea.
Thanks for reading. xo - Nicole
Welcome!