Small Town

Living in a small town is good and it is bad. The good is if something happens people are there for you. For example the community came together to help support a custodian that has become ill. Friday night they had a pork burger dinner, silent auction, bake sale, and raffle. That is wonderful. When we had David the people in the comunity were so nice. Always asking how they could help. Offering babysitting, sending gifts, offering to drive me, and just caring.

The bad part of the small town attmosphere is the knowing things. Knowing that the boy who flipped the bird and yelled B**** at you is the son of the aide at school. Or knowing that Mr. Elmo is cheating with Mrs. Cookie Monster. It is also hard to live around the people who teased you in school. It is hard not to let yourself carry all of those feelings with you when you run into them at the school. It is hard to let the boy who was mean to you in school teach your son in class. I wish I didn't know that the girl I once buddies with now can't be bothered to wave at me as she passes me on the road.

Sometimes I wonder if I would be happier if like most of my Bumpus Family I moved away. I know my place is here. That this no matter how stressful is the place I want to raise my boys. I want them to have some of my experiences. I want to know if my son is getting into trouble. It is kinda nice to know there are people watching. I guess the idea is to not let their opinions or actions get to me so much. I need to learn to appreciate the little things and the quirks of my community. In a way it is easier here. I know the experiences I am glad I had and I want to change the bad ones I had so that my children hopefully don't have them. I want them to learn to swim, to be in sports, to forgive, to laugh at themselves, and I want them to be sure of themselves. I want them to know they are loved and that no matter what they do their Dad and I will be here to help them pick up the pieces.