Yes, I flip-flop.
Well, I was born in a small town
And I live in a small town
Probably die in a small town
Oh, those small communities...
Having the opportunity to actually get out of the house as of late has given me some great reminders of why I love this small town in the first place. There is such a great sense of community here, from the Arty Party I attended in May, to the day I spent visiting my high school, to the smiling faces that greeted me at work once again today.
I was nervous about going back to my high school last Friday- after all, I'd been their Rory Gilmore, yet I'd opted for Windsor over Havard and drama over medicine or law. Due to course and program restraints, I hadn't continued with history or french, two of my high school passions, and those were the teachers whose classes I was sitting in on with my sister. Yet it turned out to be my favourite day to date of my summer vacation. I sat in on Mr. Longo's history class and remembered why I used to love history so much. I gained points with my sister and two of her friends by not only buying them freezies at lunch, but also helping them practice for their French dictee. In French class, I impressed a bunch of tenth grade students because I could actually respond to their teacher in French, while they had no idea what he was even talking to me about. He also showed off the school's new computerized attendance system and chatted about my trips to Montreal. I capped off the visit with a trip to the principal's office- after all, what day in high school is complete without one? ;) Mr. B was in quite the philosophical mood, as he was working on his speech for graduation. He spoke to me about the self-help book he'd been reading that day, asked me my opinion of telling new graduations that they can indeed dream big, and rhapsodized about how he tells his football players each year about the three most important things in life- God, your mother, and your coach. He reminisced about how I could've done anything, and yet seemed so proud of managing to get into this crazy drama program I wanted in. We talked about how it is the community feeling of our school that makes it so great- how everyone works together, knows each other, and generally gets along.
I am so fortunate to have had the small town experience in school. How many people can come home and have such a long and personal conversation with their high school principal without even having to introduce themselves? He knew me, what school I was at, and what program I was in. It doesn't help that he still talks to Mum in the parking lot when she arrives to pick up Alicia at school sometimes, but still. This is a special place.
Small towns also allow for so much random humour. Mum and I spent part of my birthday afternoon at the annual Home Show. Vendors, from crafts to furniture to lumber to the arts to orthopedic foot cream to clothing take over both the arena and curling club to sell their wares. Mum and I managed to have a hilarious conversation with the man (whom we'd never met) at the county information booth as he quizzed us on important events in the county. By the end of it, we were all in stitches, and he marvelled at the fact that it was too bad we "didn't have any personality" and "didn't know how to smile". I <3 sarcasm.
I am so well-associated with my summer job with the Arts Council now that people stop me on the street to a) make sure I'm still working there, b) pass something arts-related on, and c)tell me how great the arts are in Haliburton County. I had pages of notes before I even started work today, and a large to-do list already waiting for me there. But was it stressful? Heck no. It's such a great work environment, from trying to sort out an outdated database through a game of 20 Questions to having the staff drooling over my tiny iPod speakers I set up in the office. I'm so glad the funding worked out, I can't really imagine spending my summer anywhere else.
I just wish I could combine the best things about the two places where my heart lives- from the people I'm so attached to back at school (and elsewhere) and the environment and warmth that I so love here.
And I live in a small town
Probably die in a small town
Oh, those small communities...
Having the opportunity to actually get out of the house as of late has given me some great reminders of why I love this small town in the first place. There is such a great sense of community here, from the Arty Party I attended in May, to the day I spent visiting my high school, to the smiling faces that greeted me at work once again today.
I was nervous about going back to my high school last Friday- after all, I'd been their Rory Gilmore, yet I'd opted for Windsor over Havard and drama over medicine or law. Due to course and program restraints, I hadn't continued with history or french, two of my high school passions, and those were the teachers whose classes I was sitting in on with my sister. Yet it turned out to be my favourite day to date of my summer vacation. I sat in on Mr. Longo's history class and remembered why I used to love history so much. I gained points with my sister and two of her friends by not only buying them freezies at lunch, but also helping them practice for their French dictee. In French class, I impressed a bunch of tenth grade students because I could actually respond to their teacher in French, while they had no idea what he was even talking to me about. He also showed off the school's new computerized attendance system and chatted about my trips to Montreal. I capped off the visit with a trip to the principal's office- after all, what day in high school is complete without one? ;) Mr. B was in quite the philosophical mood, as he was working on his speech for graduation. He spoke to me about the self-help book he'd been reading that day, asked me my opinion of telling new graduations that they can indeed dream big, and rhapsodized about how he tells his football players each year about the three most important things in life- God, your mother, and your coach. He reminisced about how I could've done anything, and yet seemed so proud of managing to get into this crazy drama program I wanted in. We talked about how it is the community feeling of our school that makes it so great- how everyone works together, knows each other, and generally gets along.
I am so fortunate to have had the small town experience in school. How many people can come home and have such a long and personal conversation with their high school principal without even having to introduce themselves? He knew me, what school I was at, and what program I was in. It doesn't help that he still talks to Mum in the parking lot when she arrives to pick up Alicia at school sometimes, but still. This is a special place.
Small towns also allow for so much random humour. Mum and I spent part of my birthday afternoon at the annual Home Show. Vendors, from crafts to furniture to lumber to the arts to orthopedic foot cream to clothing take over both the arena and curling club to sell their wares. Mum and I managed to have a hilarious conversation with the man (whom we'd never met) at the county information booth as he quizzed us on important events in the county. By the end of it, we were all in stitches, and he marvelled at the fact that it was too bad we "didn't have any personality" and "didn't know how to smile". I <3 sarcasm.
I am so well-associated with my summer job with the Arts Council now that people stop me on the street to a) make sure I'm still working there, b) pass something arts-related on, and c)tell me how great the arts are in Haliburton County. I had pages of notes before I even started work today, and a large to-do list already waiting for me there. But was it stressful? Heck no. It's such a great work environment, from trying to sort out an outdated database through a game of 20 Questions to having the staff drooling over my tiny iPod speakers I set up in the office. I'm so glad the funding worked out, I can't really imagine spending my summer anywhere else.
I just wish I could combine the best things about the two places where my heart lives- from the people I'm so attached to back at school (and elsewhere) and the environment and warmth that I so love here.