Why I love living in the country

There is so much that is good about living in the country. This morning I was able to walk right in and vote, because my polling place is also out in the country! The few people who were there were chatting aimiably about fishing and such.

I love that people wave when they pass each other. I love that if you have a flat, like the one I had last year while driving a van with six kids in it, one in a wheelchair and all tired from school.
I happened to be out of cell phone range and dh was out of town anyway. My son's jumped out of the car ready to fix it. However our jack was missing a part and our lug wrench was missing. (since then this has been rectified) Not only did a man who lived near by come out of his house and start helping, but another man who happened to have a toolbox on his pick up with power tools stopped too. They gently pushed my son's out of the way and took over, though they did take the time to give the boys instructions for next time.

People here chat while in line at the grocery store, or anywhere else. I was mailing a package to a friend's son in the military today and someone commented on it and gave me ideas for next time, since she was mailing a similar package to her son. (her advice for the record was cookies!)

When a house burned down here, the whole town stepped up to help the family. Someone immidiataly paid for the family to stay in a hotel. School happened to be out, the next day, but our church preschool took the three school age children in while the parents did paperwork. They checked my husbands id and called the parents, even though they know my husband before releasing the kids to come out to our house. A friend of mine took the kids shopping and got them clothing and stuff. The mom was in nursing school and friends got her new uniforms and books. Another church had an empty parsonage that they let the family stay in. There were funds started at two different banks in town to help them replace thier belongings. It was amazing how the whole town came together to help them.

When a huirricane hits the coast, it's not unusual to find people who have been evactuated sleeping in churches and homes all over this town. Somehow food and blankets and air mattresses and whatever else is needed appears.

In this town my son in his wheelchair is accepted completely. In his class is another little girl who uses a walker and a boy who is autistic. The entire second grade is very protective of these three kids. They are a part of them.

When I mentioned to our superintendant that there were not van accessable handicapped parking places at the high school and that it would help me out at football games that our family attends to have them. Within in a week, there were two on the visitors side and two on the home side and one at the middle school as well. I mentioned to the elementary principal that we needed another curb cutout in front of the school and guess what? It happened.

Small towns are the way to go.