ABG
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Contributors
  • ABG CFB
  • Reference center
  • Contact Us

Cumberland Island

Explore Your Small Town

9/19/2019

0 Comments

 
PictureA Night at the Rome Braves Game
Alexa Owens, ABG Contributor

​#
exploreyoursmalltown
​

This is a hashtag I use a lot on my Instagram page @countryfriedsoul. It has become kind of an ongoing scavenger hunt and a personal challenge to myself to continuously seek out things that make my little part of the world extra special. Growing up, I’d often hear friends and peers lament about how our town was such a boring place to live, and how they couldn’t wait to get out of this place and head south towards Atlanta, or somewhere even bigger. We all have varying backgrounds and reasons for why we might want to stay or go, or even come back later. But I feel pretty fortunate that the desperation others felt to permanently leave Rome never fully bit me. Chasing bigger places and different faces is certainly not a bad thing. Some folks absolutely need a fresh start in life, a chance to make their own way, or simply follow the calling of the Lord. But having the opportunity to make a life near where you grew up has proven to be a pretty special experience too.

PictureThe Winshape Retreat
This past weekend, my husband and I had the opportunity to attend a Winshape Marriage Retreat, located on Berry College’s mountain campus. The beautiful French-inspired architecture, and one-of-a-kind hospitality whisk you away to what feels like another land—except it’s only 20 minutes from our home. As we settled into our retreat, we began to notice a trend. Only one other couple at this particular retreat was also from our hometown. In fact, a large portion of the attendees were from out of state. This caused me to wonder about all of the otherthings that are in our “own backyard”, that we locals may be missing. It also caused me to consider how many towns may be faced with this same crux. But perhaps, it isn’t a puzzle at all, and the solution is quite simple. 

Explore your small town. See? I’m bringing it back to my hashtag! The beauty of any small town is often lost on its own residents. We busy ourselves with our daily schedules and routines and plan big exciting trips to places an hour or more away, and simply forget the beauty and adventures that await only minutes from our homes. This particular conundrum is something I have been thinking on for some time now, and I would like to give several simple applications as to how to put into practice the art of “exploring your small town.”

PictureNature is Everywhere
​Try local restaurants you’ve not made time for in the past. Small, local business is hard, support the folks in your town who have dedicated themselves to your community in this way. Seek out events on social media and city websites. Discover the history of where you live through museums, books, and archives. This can be a fascinating, fun, and yet sorrowful process, but we will all be better for knowing about those who came before us. Go to your local Main, or Broad, Street. Observe the traffic, both foot and vehicular. Stop and smell the roses— quite literally! Nature is everywhere and can be appreciated at any level. Remember to look at billboards and hand-written street signs. If your town has a visitor’s center, stop by, with a newcomer’s perspective. Pick up some pamphlets, make a donation, and ask about secret hotspots. This would also be a great way to find out information about hiking trails, kayaking (if your city has waterways) and local agro-tourism destinations. Visit the town library and become a member (we love our local library!) Also, take time to consider all of these things in regards to the other small towns near you.

So many times, we get consumed chasing the faster-paced, bigger things that pass us by and it becomes easy to miss the beauty of what is right in front of us. Perhaps it’s a lifelong lesson in contentment that I find myself pursuing. Perhaps it is realizing the value of belonging to a community and how important it is to consider the positive impacts we can leave on our small towns, whether newcomers or long-time locals. We can all stand to find a little more joy wherever we are in life, leave places better than we found them, and treat others the way we want to be treated (it’s the Christian way, after all!) So, I challenge you, dear reader, #exploreyoursmalltown. Find beauty in the small things, the local things, the local people... and share your learnings with an audience. We will all be better, individually and collectively, if we can learn to behold and uplift the things, and especially the folks, right in front of us.

Picture
A Homemade Stage for Homegrown Fun
Alexa Owens is an amateur photographer, Believer, Wife, Mama, Southerner, and an ABG Contributor.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Sam B.

    Historian, self-proclaimed gentleman, agrarian-at-heart, & curator extraordinaire
    ​READ MORE


    Picture
    ABG Sponsor, Click Here
    Picture
    ABG Sponsor, Click Here
    Picture
    ABG Sponsor - Click for Link
    Tweets by @BiscuitsGA

    Social Media

    RSS Feed

    Books Blog Directory

    Categories

    All
    Agriculture
    Art
    Books
    Business
    Christmas
    Civil War
    Community Revitalization
    Culture
    Education
    Family
    Fashion
    Fiction
    Film & Television
    Food
    Garden
    Hiking
    History
    Home
    Industry
    Local
    Music
    Native American
    Outdoors
    Politics
    Restaurants
    Revolutionary War
    Tradition
    Travel
    World War II

    Archives

    November 2022
    July 2022
    March 2022
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    December 2013
    October 2013
    July 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    December 2010

Copyright 2015
ABG. The celebration and preservation of Southern history, culture, and agrarian ideals.
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Contributors
  • ABG CFB
  • Reference center
  • Contact Us