Rick,
This is a beautiful piece. There is indeed something about life in small-town America that deepens knowledge of human nature and what is truly important. Perhaps it is the generational knowledge one has of one’s neighbors. People can’t reinvent themselves, but they can evolve and grow. In a small town, you can see that happen. You can also see people fall or stagnate. Whichever happens, you have to deal with it: the people will still be there next week and next year. You learn that the cantankerous neighbor who plagued your youth might offer the straight talk you need later to get you through a crisis. You learn the multi-dimensionality of the individual rather than the multi-culturality of the big city, and this can lead to a surer knowledge of who you are and what your place is in the world.
Our country is stronger and better for having both the small town and the city. It is dangerous to undervalue either.
