Rory Gilmore had the ideal life growing up in Stars Hollow, a small town where everyone knows your name and the local coffee shop knows your order. Just like Rory, I also had the privilege of growing up in a small town. While my life isn’t straight out of a show, like Gilmore Girls, I do share a few things in common.
The local coffee shops know my order. Every day in the spring of grade 12, I would head over to the Tin Roof Café, order my usual, vanilla steamer and peanut butter square, then sit at my usual table and chat with the baristas that worked there. It almost seems like my little town had a Luke’s Diner of our own. However, I’m not a coffee lover, so you’ll probably never see me ordering coffee, coffee, coffee.
Another amazing thing about living in a small town is that everyone pretty much knows each other. When you walk on the main street you are bound to know someone and usually end up having a ten-minute conversation with them. These close connections with people instill a sense of safety in the community; I’ve always felt safe in my town. Additionally, knowing almost everyone in town creates the neighbour-helping neighbour attitude which still exists, as everyone looks out for each other. To put things in perspective; I have a Lorelai and Babette relationship with my neighbour. We look out for each other and always know we can run over to our neighbour’s house if we need a cup of sugar.
And the best part about my small town is that we have a fall fair every year, which is pretty similar to the winter carnival or the firelight festival that takes place in Gilmore Girls. Almost everyone attends the fall fair, as it’s one of the biggest events of the year. It’s a great time to see familiar faces and catch up with one another again while going on rides and playing games.
There are so many more amazing things about small towns. Gilmore Girls accentuates the positives of living in a small town; the quaint restaurants and coffee shops, everyone knowing your name, and the feeling of safety.
Although there are many positive aspects of small towns, there are some drawbacks. While knowing everyone can be great, as I stated before, there also comes a lot of issues. My high school had a total of 400 students and I’ve known most of my classmates since kindergarten. While this is great, everyone tends to know your business. Drama tends to spread like wildfire in my town, such that everyone knows what’s going on by the end of the week. We definitely had a few Ms. Pattys spreading rumours around town.
Additionally, everything is about a 25-minute drive away, including the closest Walmart, which some people find hard to believe.
On top of that, I’m an ambitious person like Rory and while I love my small town, there are not many job opportunities. Most people have to leave town in order to search for the career they love.
Long story short, I left home for university, and it was one of the best things I could’ve ever done. However, growing up with people I’ve known my whole life made it tricky to make friends. Not being exposed to other cultures sometimes made me feel as if I was living under a rock. One day when I move out (probably into a big city or the GTA) I hope to visit my small town and relive all of the memories of my small town.
While it might seem as though I’m bashing my small town, I’m truly proud to have grown up here, as it has helped shape me into the person I am today. One thing that I’ve learned and grown to appreciate is the love and support of my community which is something that I will never forget.