I grew up in two very small towns that begin with the letter P. The first seven years in Potosi, Missouri, then the rest in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. For those of you wondering… yes there really are cowboys, Indians and tornados in Oklahoma! My grandparents grew up on the prairie. My family still lives in this little town.
Growing up in a one stop-light town has its perks and downsides…
Perks:
Drive-In Theater (kids from all the neighboring small towns gathered here on weekends)
Riding bikes all over town with no worries
A calm little lake to ski in every weekend
Football, basketball and wrestling
Bonfires (usually at someone’s ranch… talk about fun!)
Street Dances (The entire town would shut down for live music and dancing)
Country Diners
Rodeos (always a fun time which usually included some kind of dance afterward)
Able to ride dirt bikes and 4-wheelers pretty much anywhere
County fairs
Indian Dances
Inexpensive living (You can buy a house for the price of a large SUV!)
Down Sides:
Everybody knows your business
Most stores close at 5 pm
Bad cable T.V.
Not a lot of fast food restaurants. (when I was growing up that was no fun!)
A few years behind on fashion, music and pretty much anything that’s not related to country living
No night life
No shopping
No Starbucks
Gravel Roads
Limited Employment Options
Tornados
Oh… did I mention everyone knows your business:-)