Small towns and suburbs

Nicole wrote a thoughtful post about her experience living in Chicagoland. She points out many lies that the suburban environment brings us: consumerism, the illusion of safety, and also the fact that many suburbanites will never experience suffering. We are also trying very hard to avoid those that are indeed suffering. Nicole does not feel that she is called to remain in the suburbs, and she and I are from the same type of hometown, so I can relate to how she feels.

I grew up in a wonderful small town, but many times it is looked down upon. Relatives who have moved to bigger and better things and friends from a church I attended in Oklahoma City enjoy poking fun at Tuttle. According to them, it is not sophisticated enough for their tastes. I always tried to pinpoint exactly what it was that they were ridiculing. I mean, they have the same level of education, still have an Oklahoma accent, live a mere 20 or so miles away, and don’t think in a radically different way than we do. In fact, I have a feeling that if someone from St. Louis (squarely in the Midwest, which is itself looked down on by both coasts at times) were to meet someone who grew up in OKC, they would probably giggle a little at a few differences. 

So what’s the deal with the 'tude toward Tuttle? I realized perhaps it’s because Tuttle doesn’t have a Barnes and Noble, Starbucks, or a mall. If you look at the high school, for example, perhaps clothing/hair styles wouldn’t necessarily reflect the latest trend. So it boils down to the fact that we, because of our geographic location, are unable to be consumers in the way that those who live in OKC are able to. Therefore, in some people’s eyes, we are missing out on something and are unsophisticated.

As I’ve come to value things like community, relationships, and living simply, I’ve realized that Tuttle enjoys something that may possibly be lacking in a “suburb” (OKC comes nowhere close to having suburbs like Chicagoland!). In school, in church, in whatever else I was involved in growing up, I knew nearly everyone! The superintendent, the mayor, the pastor, etc. were not merely names, but family friends who probably knew my parents and grandparents growing up. If I were to go out on a Saturday night, my parents knew what I did before I even got home. Heck, people may actually wave to you when you pass them driving down the road! If I forgot to lock my car door or shut down the garage door at night, everything would be intact the next day. That would never happen in the ‘burbs! My hometown a unique community that has a lot of close-knit relationships; some people may lament that fact, but I treasure it. Another plus, the layout of the town is such that my family’s home is not literally 5 feet away from the neighbor’s. We have fresher air, pretty views, and more space. The suburbs bring an endless line of strip malls, identical houses, and no views of the stars at night.

With Al Hsu’s The Suburban Christian, I’ve been learning that the suburbs in fact do have redeeming qualities, and that it’s possible to live christianly here. Therefore, I don’t want to be completely negative about the suburban way of life. Nor do I want to be like the haters and turn the unfounded criticism back on them. I’ve recently realized, though, that no matter where you live, relationships, getting to know your neighbors, and good stewardship of resources are pretty important. Living in an environment like Tuttle facilitates those things, which is why smirk a little (on the inside of course) when folks get a kick out of making fun of small towns!

Comments

[charlie]

Thanks for the comment about "garage doors" I'm up early and just checked...yes I left the garage door open..guess what it is all still in there! Whew...going back to bed.
Charlie

PS...i really agree with what you have observed. Growing up in a small town we have lived a lifestyle that many seek yet do not realize. Yet we can "go to the city" to live and know that there is another place/way; but many in the city are still searching to some extent for more.