Stigma: small town America. Or should I say, 'Amurica'.
For some, this means many things. American flags. Cows. Wheat fields. Barns. Walmart. Small mindedness. Pies. Trailers. Dirt. Plaid. Conservative...Natty Light.
For me, the first I think of is...home. The wave of a neighbor hanging their flag out front. The beauty in the changing of seasons. The comfort of a four way stop at almsot every corner. The security that things might be as I left them. As if I bookmarked my favorite place in my most treasured story as a child so that I could return to it at a moments notice. Yet, at the same time, change is in consistent motion. Slower than others, but still, moving. Growing. Taking the time to cherish things around the lives of folks living in a community as they grow rather then pushing through them. The tradition of the same ol same ol...secrets of baking the perfect cherry pie. How to press a shirt in just the right places. Savoring a nice cold beer on the porch at a longs days end...Conservative and slow paced for some, but, for me...this is home. This is where it begins and where it should end.
My small town will be apart of me for as long as I live and no matter where my life leads me-this corny yellow brick road will lead these ruby red slippers home to where it all seems to make sense. Where things seem to fit together. Where no matter how you shake the globe, things eventually seem to settle-a bit disheveled, but settle non the less. This, this is what I am thankful for every day of the year. Our lives are able to pause. Pause just as we are. Where we are, and observe our lives and those around us. Where we are. Not to take just this one day and then push forward again, but to really pause, step back and savor how exquisite the world is. How important taking our time to savor and how pertinent it is to give a gesture of gratitude in return. The wave of a neighbor. The talk with a father. The comfort of a dog at foot. The hope that the sun will rise again for yet another breathtaking day.
Happy Endless Day of Thanks my friends. *The last five refined photos courtesy of the best brother in the world, alec
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