To the Editor:
I’d like to talk about my experiences, personally, with living in a small town. And coming from a small town. I grew up in a town of less than 2000 people. We lived next door to the farm where my Dad grew up. Mitch and I moved to our present house, in another small town, less than 2000 people, that borders my hometown. And I now live about 1/2 mile from where my Mom grew up. So, I can talk about MY experiences with small town living. But that’s all I can do. Not from a perspective of a person of color, growing up and living in these small towns. Not as a wealthy person, growing up and living in these small towns. Just as kind of a plain, lower middle income, white person.

After hearing and reading the lyrics to a country artist’s song about some things you don’t want to try in a small town, I figured I’d make a list of some things that one really SHOULD try in a small town. Or anywhere, for that matter.

When you hear it through the grapevine that a family lost their house in a fire, and everything they own. And you get together a group of people, as fast as you can. To find out what they need, and how to get it to them.

When a woman loses her husband suddenly, unexpectedly. You join a meal train and make sure she and her kids have meals for a month. So they don’t have to worry about cooking. You donate to a Gofundme so that she will have the money for final expenses. You take the time to go dig out the drainage ditch behind her garage, so it stops draining down the driveway. You reach out to her. And she never forgets that kindness.

When a woman loses her child in an accident. You find out what you can do for her, what she needs first. You donate to the GoFundMe, so she can bury her child. You go to fundraisers every year to raise funds for the college scholarship in that child’s name.

You go to the schools Empty Bowl fundraiser that raises money for the local soup kitchen/food pantry. Every year.

You drive by people’s homes, paying attention to what’s going on in their yards. Does anything look off? You offer to watch their place when they are away. And do it.

You be on the lookout for dogs or cows or chickens or horses that have escaped someone’s yard. And try to help them locate the missing critters, and even help herd them back home.

You donate used clothing to the local charity that helps families in need. You donate books to the library. For them to put on their shelves, or to sell at bookstores.

You buy some cookies from the Girl Scouts, because you love cookies. And, these girls are from your small town. And you know them, and want them to sell lots of cookies. Same thing with the Cub Scouts and their popcorn.

You try to do business with the people in your small town when you can, and recommend them to others as well.

You offer to get groceries for the elderly and disabled. Or bring them to doctor appointments. You offer them vegetables from your own garden because they can’t garden for themselves You share some of your venison when you go out hunting and get your deer.

You try to help move branches and stuff out of the road so people don’t hit them. You clean up the sides of the road if able.

You go to funerals for people in your small town. Even if you didn’t know them well. Because you know how much it means to the loved ones, to have people come show their respect and caring to the living.

When new folks move to your small town. You try to make contact. To welcome them. To find out if you can be of help in some way. Maybe they have questions about where to find stuff. And maybe they just want to see a smiling face and feel welcome.

Because that means so much! Right there. To feel welcome. To feel part of something. A small town, a community, a neighborhood, an apartment building, a tenement building, a church, a city, a street, a place. Where people get to know you, and you get to know them back. And you aren’t fearful if they don’t look or act like you. If they go to a different church, or no church. If they are married to someone of the same sex. Or if they were born with some of the wrong body parts. But have since had surgeries to correct that birth defect. If they have lots of kids, or no kids. If they like being social. Or prefer being alone.

And it really doesn’t take living in a small town to have these things. Or want to do these things. Or hope to be this way. And feel this way. Not if we all want it bad enough. Not if we all figure that we have to start somewhere. Because if not us, then who?

Those are some things you should try if you live in a small town, or a giant city. If you are a human being of the planet, Earth.

Becky Burelle Gagne