Small Is Big…
“What is there to do… ‘tis so small….” Though it is technically a question, it usually comes out as a statement. No, a verdict. It seems to me that the “small” part is viewed as a disadvantage. In our entertainment-obsessed society, having an ample number of events, places to go, and doing things to be “cultured” is often equated with “opportunity” and with “access to the best… whatever.” But is it, though, I ask you? I mean, that is what vacations are for. How many museums, trips to the theatre, and art galleries would one need on a regular basis (or want, for that matter) to be fulfilled, to actually matter, truly matter? What governs human life on a daily basis, and science would support me here, are human connections.
You don’t need to live in New York for that, though I’m sure there is something to do there every hour of the day. Something grand, interesting, fulfilling even, I’m certain of it. Friends and community serve as a substantial glue, yes, but also small but consistent connections that fasten you to people around you as a whole, even if you don’t know them, not in an absolute sense. Someone recognizes your face and strikes up a conversation because you’ve taken your children to the same camp for years, and you remember them because they’d worked there for years. A barista remembers the drink you usually get and informs you apologetically that the coffee shop no longer carries it before you open your mouth to order. The thing is, people are limited to the geography of the town if they want to live in that town, and sooner or later, they run into the same people because there is a much smaller number of… well… everything in a small town. Even when someone you don’t really know recognizes you (assuming it’s for positive reasons), it can warm your heart because it makes you less invisible and, therefore, matter just a little bit more.
Multiply this several times over, and there is a sense of comfort. You are seen. You are known, even if in the minute ways. (obviously, not talking about fame here). Depending on the frequency of such occurrences, it pierces the shell of isolation, letting light come through, however tiny. What does a small town have to do with this? A lot, I believe. By its very nature, people, the same people in it, bump into each other more often. Small towns are small communities and make such interactions occur more naturally, fluidly, and regularly. It is their “smallness” that facilitates more frequent contact with the same people. Small towns are better positioned to make such points of connection easier. People are meant to live in small, tight groups, villages, and hamlets. The same positive and repeated connections allow for healthier growth, which in turn propels us and serves as a launch board, making the “smallness” of our daily lives provide the most significant opportunities.
