Small Town Living Where Everybody Knows You and Your Business
By syeryn
@syeryn (573)
United States
January 10, 2009 11:40pm CST
I live in a small town and at times it can be really comforting to know that 95% of the community know you. Everywhere you go people stop and talk to you. If your kids do something you should know about your phone will ring 10 times in 10 minutes with someone wanting to give you an informative heads up. Even that can be a good thing in moderation. They key word here is moderation.
The flip side of that comfort in inconvenience. There are days where it seems like you cannot escape the do-gooders trying to be neighborly and keep you informed of things they think you need to know about.
Today was one of those days where I felt smothered. Do you ever feel that your community smothers you with their good intentions?
3 responses
@echomonster (2226)
• Greenwood, Mississippi
11 Jan 09
I always find it interesting when people talk about close knit small towns because I also live in a small town but it's one which doesn't really have a strong sense of community. I think I like it better that way because there's more freedom to live as you want without other people bothering you. On the flip side, I know people aren't really looking out for each other unless they're friends or family. It sounds like there are a lot of town gossips where you live who have to be up on each little bit of news going on in the community...I wouldn't have much patience for that, and I don't think it's really motivated by good intentions. Sometimes gossip can lead to something good -- a criminal being found out, a child's dangerous behavior being exposed, etc -- but it's not good in and of itself and it does a lot of hurt as well. I can definitely understand why you feel smothered!
