My Corner of the World.

One of the things that I think defines a person the most, whether they are willing to admit it or not, is the place where they grew up. Every nuance of life in that place becomes ingrained into their daily routine and even long after they leave it, that place still runs in their blood. That is why I wanted to do a post about the little town that I grew up in and live in still.
The town is so small that there isn't even one traffic light. Basically, it consists of one main street with smaller streets branching from it and scattered houses and farmland in the outer limits. There are two playgrounds, one newer and more well-kept and one smaller and beginning to fall apart but that holds more of my childhood memories. There is a baseball field at each playground and the state of their upkeep coincides with that of the playgrounds. There is one little-league team which my brother played on when he was younger but now, for all I know, may have dissolved to nothing. There is a small pizza shop, two small diners and your run-of-the-mill convenience store. There are two small churches in town, neither of which I attend. There is also a small library which I visit fairly often. It is a very sweet little place which has been fixed up quite a lot in the last years. They always have coffee and baked treats for sale. It feels like I have read most of the books that I might have any interest in, but there is a fairly steady stream of new arrivals. The town's one "claim to fame," if you could even call it that, is that there is an intersection with a train track going through it, supposedly the only place like it in the U.S. (which I find hard to believe).
 We live in a fairly conservative area and there are quite a few Amish living near our town and in the surrounding areas and counties. Many people I know firmly believe that with living in a small town comes having a small mind. This may be true for some, but I like to believe that I am open to new ideas and new people. My personal beliefs are considered conservative by many but I've never been one to put down or hate on others even if our beliefs differ from mine. I believe the way this small town has influenced me the most is in my preference of normal, comfortable, average living in which nothing much changes rather than living life on the edge, never knowing for sure what will come from day to day. It's true that I often shy away from change but as I go out into the world I hope that my fear of it is lessening.
As small towns go I suppose it is fairly normal in all respects. I'm sure there are hundreds and thousands just like it throughout the U.S. and beyond. It's the place I call home, and I wouldn't change it for the world.
♥♥Kristin
P.S. I apologize for the lack of pictures. I haven't really taken any of my town to speak of. Perhaps some pictures of the playground I told you about will come along shortly.