I wanted to take a moment to thank the lovely residents of Russell, Manitoba, whom I met on Friday. For a school assignment, my classmates and I were instructed to pick a small town, find something interesting about it, and write a story. We were also instructed to create a tourism advertisement. Thanks to some very kind and friendly people, I was able to find enough information to accomplish both.Russell it a very cute town, and it has a lot to offer. I was fortunate eno
ugh to be provided with a personal tour of the country by a lovely woman who owns a horse and cattle ranch. My other group members found their stories by walking through the town and stopping at random stores. If one person did not have any information, they kindly directed us to someone who did. In one case, Peter from the jewellery store directed us to Alice at the craft store, who directed us to Dianne at the pharmacy. It was great. I am beginning to wonder if small town life is the way to go...
ugh to be provided with a personal tour of the country by a lovely woman who owns a horse and cattle ranch. My other group members found their stories by walking through the town and stopping at random stores. If one person did not have any information, they kindly directed us to someone who did. In one case, Peter from the jewellery store directed us to Alice at the craft store, who directed us to Dianne at the pharmacy. It was great. I am beginning to wonder if small town life is the way to go...
I'm sure your last comment was rhetorical & not meant to be answered but I just can't resist. After having reread what I've written I realize it's extremely long-winded & probably of interest to no one but myself & I almost erased it, but what the heck.
ReplyDeleteHere's one perspective from someone who's lived in a variety of places from a village of 12 to the metropolis of London, England. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages. For the history buff either can be a treasure trove if one is willing to look and it's often a delight to talk to the "old timers" and find out what life was like before the day. But let's face it, sometimes it's just downright boring when you've heard the same story umpteen times! People in small towns are generally friendlier than in larger cities (Wpg being one exception) but both offer the opportunity to be as social or reclusive as one desires. In some small towns if you're a hermit you're considered eccentric, an oddity & maybe even someone to avoided. In most cases I've found the majority some of the most interesting people I've met. Then there's the gossip that can run rampant in a village of 783 people but sometimes there's not much else going on. In that town everyone seemed to know everyone else's business - frequently before it even happened. One of favorites about me was the one about how I had to climb 2 flights up a ladder at 5 AM (it was 4)to gain entry to the hostel where I was living while 5 guys serenaded me. Curfew was at 10 PM but what people didn't know was that as an illegal full-time resident, those rules didn't apply to me. I had a key so the ladder wasn't needed. The serenade part was true.
What I like about the city of 6500 that I currently live in is that anything goes. After I've been a hermit and decide to rejoin the human race, when I run into people, usually at the post office, I might get a comment such as "Oh, you've moved back to town." Others who live a similar life style & know me best simply presume I've gone through one of those periods & pick up like we just saw each other yesterday even if it's been 2 years. The disadvantage of small towns can be the things you don't have access to. For me it's art galleries, museums, cultural diversity and the fact that we have to drive 220 miles round trip to go to the nearest big city. And I don't miss the traffic. Three years ago 2 stop lights were installed here amidst great controversy & a town hall meeting was held to discuss the "problem". Some people still gripe about it 3 years later.
I thought about not signing my name so it wouldn't be known you have an aunt who is a little different but decided to do it anyway.
Keep blogging sweetie. You are such a good writer & I enjoy your stories so much. I still have the one you wrote me, complete with illustrations, when you were five. Enjoy being you!