I was just in town, had to visit the grocery store, visit the post office, etc. As usual, I ran into someone I knew, chatted for a minute, then we went our separate ways. It's very unusual for me to go to town and not run into someone I know, and we always say hello. So different from where I used to live, I rarely, as in count on one hand, ran into people I knew there. And even if I did, the only exchange was a curt nod, an acknowledgement that you were seen, if you were lucky. Or if you knew the person well, they were usually in a hurry to get done and go somewhere.
I needed to go to the post office next, and as I'm driving there, I spotted a young bear, just meandering across the road, taking his/her sweet time about crossing. I was about a half a block away, and before I could liberate my camera from underneath the groceries on the front seat, it was gone. Now, this wasn't really on the outskirts of town, this was a half block off of what would be Main street in most towns. But we do abut a large forest, and it's not uncommon for bears to come into town for a snack. Especially if it's garbage day.
But as I was getting my mail, it made me think of a couple of instances where living in a small town was really great. When we first moved here, before we really knew anyone, our mail was delivered and one of the letters came postage due. Well, the mail person left a note, saying that we owed the post office some 30 cents or so, not a lot of money, but she had gone ahead and delivered the mail anyways. I had to go into town a day or so later, and I stopped at the post office and showed the postmaster the note and said I owed someone 30 cents. You know, he wasn't even surprised that I made the effort to pay it. And then there was the time I accidentally put a letter in the box outside and forgot to put a stamp on it. I realized it as soon as I dropped it in, so I went inside, told them what I had done and purchased a stamp, knowing that it would be affixed and my mail would go out.
There are many pluses and a few minus' to living in a small community, but I don't think I could go back to living in anonymity any more. I like it here.
I needed to go to the post office next, and as I'm driving there, I spotted a young bear, just meandering across the road, taking his/her sweet time about crossing. I was about a half a block away, and before I could liberate my camera from underneath the groceries on the front seat, it was gone. Now, this wasn't really on the outskirts of town, this was a half block off of what would be Main street in most towns. But we do abut a large forest, and it's not uncommon for bears to come into town for a snack. Especially if it's garbage day.
But as I was getting my mail, it made me think of a couple of instances where living in a small town was really great. When we first moved here, before we really knew anyone, our mail was delivered and one of the letters came postage due. Well, the mail person left a note, saying that we owed the post office some 30 cents or so, not a lot of money, but she had gone ahead and delivered the mail anyways. I had to go into town a day or so later, and I stopped at the post office and showed the postmaster the note and said I owed someone 30 cents. You know, he wasn't even surprised that I made the effort to pay it. And then there was the time I accidentally put a letter in the box outside and forgot to put a stamp on it. I realized it as soon as I dropped it in, so I went inside, told them what I had done and purchased a stamp, knowing that it would be affixed and my mail would go out.
There are many pluses and a few minus' to living in a small community, but I don't think I could go back to living in anonymity any more. I like it here.
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