Small Town USA

It's Writer's Workshop time and that means MamaKat is at it again. Making up prompts for us to chose from to let the creative juices flow. The one I chose this week is:
5.) What made your childhood bearable? Write about it.

I was born and raised in a small town in southern Iowa with a population of about 1400 people. Everyone knew us and we knew everyone. It was one big family. There was no fear of letting your children walk anywhere day or night and back when I was a children there was no drug problem.

We lived a couple blocks form one set of grandparents and about 4 blocks form the other when I was very young so we could always go to their house. Mom would let us walk there whenever we wanted as long as she knew where we were. I did run away to Grandma's once and got in trouble for that but at least I didn't have far to run.

Two house down from me lived my friend Linda and her sister Cindy. My sister and I played with them for hours. If they weren't over at our house we were at theirs. They had this huge weeping willow tree in their backyard that we would grab hold of the branches and swing from. We had one of those big old tractor tires beneath a tree in our backyard and one day we decided to dig a hole inside of this tire and make a swimming pool. So we went in to the house and brought out my moms good spoons and started digging. Took us freakin forever to dig a hole and then we brought the hose down and started to fill this sucker up. Nobody thought to tell us that the water would just soak into the dirt. All we did was get muddy but we had a hell of a good time doing it. Our moms weren't so thrilled ( especially mine when she saw her spoons all bent up) with us being so muddy but as long as we were having fun that's all that mattered.

We would go out to the one swimming pool we had in town (this was a big deal in a town this size) almost every day during the summer. This is where everyone hung out. Then after we were done swimming we would head over to the Parkway Drive In for something to eat. People this is one of those places that had a true carhop that brought your food out on a tray and attached it to the window of your car. later when I was old enough this is one of the places I worked. (does this give you a clue as to how old I am?)

Growing up in Small Town USA wasn't always easy because I couldn't get away with shit. If I did something before I got home, my parents knew I had done it so there was no sense in trying to lie about it. Going to Lovers Lane to make out with my boyfriend was always a bust because the local cop (we had one and he was our neighbor) always seemed to know I was there and he would find us and take me home. I'm surprised I ever managed to have a love life as a teenager. On the other hand it had it's up side too. You always knew there was someone watching out for you and if you needed it they had your back.

So guess this is what it's all about and why I am who I am. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Now MamaKat isn't Small Town USA, but head over there anyway to read other stories about special childhood memories and maybe you'll remember your own along the way.