17 Things You Know to Be True If You Hail From a Tiny Town

It doesn't matter if you come from the north, south, east, or west or somewhere else in the world completely, all small towns are virtually the same. For me, growing up in a town in Ohio with about 8,500 people was my normal. It wasn't until I left and moved from one big city to the next that I realized how special it was to come from a small place. Yes, I truly believe it's special, because there's nothing else like experiencing childhood in a place where everyone knows you and cares about you, where you can run around town under the stars (that you can actually see) at 2 a.m. and know you're safe.

If you also come from a small town, you can probably relate to my upbringing. If you're still living in your small town, kudos to you, because it takes a certain kind of person (like my family) to embrace it and love it and stay. For many of us, breaking out was all we dreamed of, but even I love going back several times a year to visit. No matter how much I love city life, I will always, always love my hometown. Keep reading to see exactly why.

01
When people ask you where you're from, you immediately say, "You've never heard of it."
Stocksnap | Rob Bye

When people ask you where you're from, you immediately say, "You've never heard of it."

People often ask me where I'm from, and first I say Ohio. Then they want to know where, and I always say, "It's a small town, you've never heard of it." Some people think they know Ohio well enough to ask for the name of the town, and when I tell them Orrville, they give me that blank stare I've come to know and loathe.

02
You know literally everyone.
Stocksnap | Dakota Roos

You know literally everyone.

Love it or hate it, it's a known fact that if you live in a small town, you know every single other person in town. That also means they all know you and probably all your business.

03
You could roam around all hours of the night and be safe.
Stocksnap | Simon Robben

You could roam around all hours of the night and be safe.

Not that my parents would love it if I was out in the middle of the night, but there was never really a concern with safety in a small town. I could easily walk the dog at midnight when I was bored and know nothing would happen.

04
All you could ever buy in town was food and medicine.
Flickr user Trace Nietert

All you could ever buy in town was food and medicine.

If you wanted something fancy, like new clothes or shoes, you had to at least go a few miles away. Our closest mall was a good 45-minute drive away, so it wasn't a place we frequented.

05
You have manners.
POPSUGAR Photography | Rima Brindamour

You have manners.

I don't know what it is about small-town life, but it meant that manners were important. Your parents and grandparents absolutely made sure you had them. To this day, you probably still hold doors open for people, say please and thank you, and respect your elders. Good on you.

06
You had a lot of bonfires in fields.
Flickr user jonasb

You had a lot of bonfires in fields.

There isn't a whole lot to do in small towns, of course, but bonfires were always a good idea. We even had school-sanctioned bonfires monitored by the fire department so the whole town could get in on it. They were a very big deal.

07
High school football was a very big deal.
Flickr user Claire Cook44

High school football was a very big deal.

Our entire town shut down on Friday nights for football games. Mostly because of the lack of other things to do, but also because FOOTBALL.

08
High school sweethearts are a very real thing.
Stocksnap | Camila Cordeiro

High school sweethearts are a very real thing.

If you still live in your small town, you might just be married to your high school sweetheart. If you escaped your small town, well, you might still be married to your high school sweetheart, but chances are, you aren't, yet you know several people who are.

09
You didn't realize how cheap everything is until you left.
Stocksnap | Jessica Furtney

You didn't realize how cheap everything is until you left.

I recall my parents always saying our local grocery store was so expensive, and relatively speaking, it is compared to places like Walmart or Target (which we did not have in town). But when I first moved away to a larger metro area, I couldn't believe how expensive groceries were. Now that I live in New York, I dream of going back to my hometown grocery store and spending half as much on food.

10
Everyone knows what you're up to these days.
Stocksnap | Phil Coffman

Everyone knows what you're up to these days.

Even though I moved away from my tiny town more than a decade ago, everyone back there still knows what I'm up to now, thanks to my mom and thanks to everyone keeping tabs on everyone.

11
You knew everyone in your graduating class.
Stocksnap | Caleb Woods

You knew everyone in your graduating class.

There weren't very many of you, so that's not a surprise. I think there were 120 in my class.

12
You had days off school for ridiculous reasons.
Stocksnap | Tamarcus Brown

You had days off school for ridiculous reasons.

Every year we had Fair Day off, literally the Monday after Labor Day, so everyone could go and enjoy the county fair. We also had cancellations when our school sports teams made it to the state championship games.

13
You never lock your doors.

You never lock your doors.

We only ever locked our doors at night, but we would park our cars in the driveway and not lock them. It wasn't until I moved away that I realized that wasn't really normal. Now whenever my dad drives to New York, I have to remind him to remove everything from view inside the car and lock the damn doors when he gets out because this is New York City and not podunk Ohio.

14
You had the same doctor your whole life.
Stocksnap | Oles kanebckuu

You had the same doctor your whole life.

I only saw one doctor the whole time I lived in my small town — unless he was on vacation and we had an emergency. Seriously, from birth until the time I moved, one guy. If I went back now and needed a doctor, it would be the same guy.

15
On hot days, you could show up to the closest pool and be welcome.
POPSUGAR Photography | Sheila Gim

On hot days, you could show up to the closest pool and be welcome.

In my small town, my house was the one with the pool, so it wasn't surprising when neighbors and people we were friendly with would drop by to swim on hot days. You see, when everyone knows everyone, you just feel kinda comfortable doing that.

16
If you got pulled over, the police officer most likely said they'd be calling your parents.
Stocksnap | Austin Neill

If you got pulled over, the police officer most likely said they'd be calling your parents.

I'm happy to report that this never happened to me, because I was never, ever pulled over in my town (or the entire state, for that matter), but I witnessed it firsthand. Of course the cops know your parents, so of course they'll give them a call when you're driving too fast or without a seatbelt.

17
You're glad you grew up there.
Stocksnap | Allef Vinicius

You're glad you grew up there.

As much as I love New York and want to stay here forever, I'm still so glad that I grew up in a small town that I can go back and visit. It's a great escape from the hustle and bustle of everywhere else in this country.