You Grew Up in a Small Town if

You can name everyone you graduated with.

You know what 4-H and FFA are because you spent a big part of your childhood in both organizations.

You went to parties at a pasture, barn, or in the middle of a dirt road.

You used to do laps up and down main street and it didn't take more than five minutes to get all the way across town and back.

You said the "F" word or smoked a cigarette and your parents knew within the hour.

You scheduled parties around the schedule of different police officers, since you know which ones would bust you and which ones wouldn't.

You could never buy alcohol because all the store clerks knew how old you were (and if you were old enough they'd tell your parents anyhow).

When you did find somebody old enough and brave enough to buy alcohol, you still had to go out into the country and drive on back roads to drink it.

It was cool to date somebody from the neighboring town.

The whole school went to the same party after graduation.

You don't give directions by street names, but by references: (Turn by Nelson's house, go 2 blocks east to Anderson's, and its four houses left of the track field).

You know everyone's car/truck and are expected to wave when you meet them in the road.

You can't help but date a friend's ex-boyfriend/girlfriend.

Your car stays dirty because of the dirt roads and you will never own a white vehicle for this reason.

The town next to you is considered "trashy" or "snooty", but is actually just like your town.

You refer anyone with a house newer then 1980 as the "rich people".

The people in the "big city" dress funny (then you pick up the trend 2 years later).

Anyone you want can be found at the local gas station or the town pub or in front of the post office.

You see at least one person a week driving a tractor through town or one of your friends drives a grain truck to school occasionally.

The gym teacher suggests you haul hay for the summer to get stronger.

Directions are given using THE stop sign or flashing red light as a reference.

You decide to walk somewhere for exercise and 5 people pull over and ask you if you want a ride somewhere.

Your teachers call you by your older sibling's names.

Your teachers remember when they taught your parents.

You can put goods and services on a tab at all the local stores or write checks without any ID.

The closest McDonalds is 15 miles away (or more) and you really have no interest in eating there.

The closest mall is over an hour away and is called simply "THE Mall".

It is normal to see an old man riding through town on a riding lawn mower.

You are related in one way or another to a large percentage of the town's Population.

You laugh your butt off reading this because you know it is all true and you forward it to everyone who lives in your town (because you know them all).

LMAO!! Love that! Brings back lots of memories. From a town of 250, graduating with 14, I experienced at least 27 out of the 30. Loved the small town living back then.

The local grocer allowed us to buy cigarettes for my dad, and they knew what kind he smoked.

The local liquor store never had anyone manning the front counter...there was a buzzer on the door and the owners would come into the store from their attached home.

Everyone knew when there were new kids starting school...it was the talk of the town.

Everyone knew when someone got pregnant...and the showers were planned in advance.

The whole town shut down when someone died.

Had two stop lights in town and it was huge news when we got a third one.

Seeing Mr. Gray ride through town with his horse and cart was an every day occurance.

At 8 years old was sent to the grocery store to get a chicken which came wrapped in butcher paper.

We drank from a waterhose and lived

an overgrown Vacant lot attracted every kid in the neighborhood. if it had a run down old house on it, all the better.

Blackberry picking was a way to make enough money for a coke and a candy bar.

"That'll put your eye out" was Mama's way of saying be careful.

Flower bushes were bigger.

China berries sting.

You never forget the neighbors you grew up with.

I grew up on a farm in the UP of Michigan. There wasn't a neighbor less than a mile away but anyone from our town was always welcomed when they came to each others homes. I remember being 14 (way back when Michigan allowed youngsters to drive farm vehicles) driving a truck load of black beans to the local grain elevator and having the belt that drove the alternator break a few yards from a neighbor's house. I knocked on the door and discovered that it was the home of a girl I really liked but hadn't summoned up the courage to talk to yet when she opened he door.

Her dad and four brothers came out, welcomed me to their home and we went in to their barn to see what they had on hand. They happened to have a new belt that would fit and handed the new belt, I slapped on the new belt and went on my way and dropped off the load of beans. On the way back I stopped at the local parts store and bought a replacement belt and stopped at the neighbors house. I knocked on the door offered the new belt to the father to replace the one he gave me, he thanked me but declined the offer and told me to keep it in the truck for the next time or when someone else needs one and then asked me to join his family for supper. I ate with the family and eventually got to know that girl, we had a lot of wonderful experiences and I'm in touch with her and her family to this day.

Long story short, this is an example of people helping each other and coincidentally how I met my High School sweetheart. Today if you knocked on a neighbor's door asking for help would you be welcomed? If you tried to return a favor would it be paid forward?

The water out of the hose was the best
It was ok to jump off the neighbors patio roof
Mom rang a dinner bell to call us for dinner, or to get the dog to come home
You got on your bike in the morning and nobody cared where you went.
Mom taped 3 pennies to your lunch sack so you could buy milk. If she forgot you still got milk, but Mom was embarassed.
I learned how to drive in the snow, pulling a horse trailer, by myself, well with the horse, of course
We had a lemonade stand along the road, and sold lemonade and tadpoles
When you were sick the Dr came to the house.

Today, if I knocked on my neighbors door, they would probably shoot me, other neighbors, not so much.

There was always an invitation to go "snipe hunting" and the kids "parked" at a place called "Jim Jarvis" (insert your town's parking spot). We had weiner roasts and hay rides and went on a senior trip that we spent 4 years earning money for.