Monday, August 08, 2005
SISTER(CITIES) ARE DOIN' IT FOR THEMSELVES!!
Well, Arthur Nebraska is not really a sister city to Arthur, Illinois but I had always had this wild hair to visit a town with the same name as my town. Yes, I know I truly live on the edge don't I? Heck, Arthur NE was the county seat of Arthur County, now I was truly excited about that. Now, Arthur Illinois is a booming metropolis compared to her Nebraska counterpart. We have a population of 2,300, the whole county in Nebraska is only 645 folks.
However, just like my hometown, the people were just as friendly and polite as you would expect Midwesterners to be. And duly proud of their "county seat"! We stopped at the post office, zip 69121 compared to our 61911, and were immediately hooked up with the village's official tour guide, Mr John Valentine. Now Mr Valentine was usually the 2nd person to be called when visitors came but apparently the former #1 tour guide had up and died several months before.
And we got the grand tour! An old lodge where Buffalo Bill used to stay, a church and houses made out of hay bales, the old courthouse which at one time was listed as the smallest county courthouse in the world, along with a very tiny jail. Of course, we got the history of the town given to us as we went along. Very interesting and a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.
So many city folk turn up their noses at we small town residents. Why there's nothing there they exclaim. Well, they just don't know where to look and very few have the patience to listen either. Having lived in the city for 12 years after college, it always cracked me up to listen to people talk about wanting more space, cleaner air, better schools, safer neighborhoods and a slower pace for their lives. Sadly, most of these people could not find it fathomable to live outside of a 30 mile radius from a Starbucks. And in today's internet age, we have it all in our small towns. Well, maybe not all, but pretty darn close. Besides, you can always visit the city.
Another thing the two Arthurs have in common were the surroundings. Green being the operative word Arthur NE is surrounded by ranches spread across rolling green, grassy prairie. Arthur IL is surrounded by wonderful flat stretches of verdant green fields that literally feed the world. Lots of pride in both towns and for good reason.
What is there to do my urban "hick" friends ask me? Well, right now, I'm going to go out on my deck in my back yard and look up at the stars and listen to the crickets, you do remember what those are right? And I am going to enjoy my space, breathe my clean air, enjoy my safe neighborhood, and relax. Oh, and I'm going to thank God that we don't have a Starbucks.
Here's to the millions of us small town residents who have figured out what the good life is!!
However, just like my hometown, the people were just as friendly and polite as you would expect Midwesterners to be. And duly proud of their "county seat"! We stopped at the post office, zip 69121 compared to our 61911, and were immediately hooked up with the village's official tour guide, Mr John Valentine. Now Mr Valentine was usually the 2nd person to be called when visitors came but apparently the former #1 tour guide had up and died several months before.
And we got the grand tour! An old lodge where Buffalo Bill used to stay, a church and houses made out of hay bales, the old courthouse which at one time was listed as the smallest county courthouse in the world, along with a very tiny jail. Of course, we got the history of the town given to us as we went along. Very interesting and a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.
So many city folk turn up their noses at we small town residents. Why there's nothing there they exclaim. Well, they just don't know where to look and very few have the patience to listen either. Having lived in the city for 12 years after college, it always cracked me up to listen to people talk about wanting more space, cleaner air, better schools, safer neighborhoods and a slower pace for their lives. Sadly, most of these people could not find it fathomable to live outside of a 30 mile radius from a Starbucks. And in today's internet age, we have it all in our small towns. Well, maybe not all, but pretty darn close. Besides, you can always visit the city.
Another thing the two Arthurs have in common were the surroundings. Green being the operative word Arthur NE is surrounded by ranches spread across rolling green, grassy prairie. Arthur IL is surrounded by wonderful flat stretches of verdant green fields that literally feed the world. Lots of pride in both towns and for good reason.
What is there to do my urban "hick" friends ask me? Well, right now, I'm going to go out on my deck in my back yard and look up at the stars and listen to the crickets, you do remember what those are right? And I am going to enjoy my space, breathe my clean air, enjoy my safe neighborhood, and relax. Oh, and I'm going to thank God that we don't have a Starbucks.
Here's to the millions of us small town residents who have figured out what the good life is!!
