RSS FeedSmall Town USA
26 January 2010Over the holidays I drove through numerous small Texas towns on the way to my wife’s grandparents in Olney, TX. This particular day happen to be the day of the high school football state finals. One of the towns we drove through was Graham, TX (population 8716). The Graham high school team was playing in the 3A state championship game in Dallas that evening. As we approached the city we noticed numerous cars on the side of the road with people dressed in team colors and signs showing their support for the local team. Once we got to Graham the streets were literally lined with people young and old wearing Graham Steers gear. There were even 2 fire trucks that had their ladders raised and extended across the main drag for the team bus and their fans to drive under when they leave town for the big game. Our kids were blown away by the “scene”. Needless to say they have never seen anything quite like that living in the city of Austin.
Small Town USA generally gets a bad rap. Statistically less than 5% say that their first choice is to relocate to a town of 10,000 or less. Granted, some specialists can’t make a living in a small town but for primary care providers there are opportunities galore. The 95% that don’t list small towns as their first choice often cite lack of shopping, restaurants and other amenities as their primary reasons. Here are several of things you usually do get with Small Town USA;
• True sense of community pride (see above)
• Your kids have the opportunity to play sports in high school even if they aren’t the next Colt McCoy (ironically he went to a small 2A high school and his dad is the head coach for the Graham Steers) and they don’t play select ______ (pick a sport) from the time they are 8 years old.
• Lower cost of living
• Lower crime rate. When I have meetings in small towns with clients it is very common for them to leave their keys in the car when we go from point A to point B.
• You know your neighbors. Not just know their name, but really know them. The kind of neighbors that bring you casseroles when you move in and if you are sick. The kind of neighbors that let you know if they see your kids doing something they shouldn’t be doing.
• Smaller schools where you know the teachers and they know you and more importantly they really know your children
• Family, faith and friends seem to be what matters the most
I don’t live in a dream world. I know Small Town USA isn’t perfect and isn’t for everyone. But I also know that when you take a step back and evaluate your priorities sometimes Small Town USA is a much better option than anticipated.
Bob
top
