Just a small town girl

My weekend was spent in my hometown. While I love, love, love living in Des Moines, I know I also “drink the koolaid” when it comes to Mount Pleasant. I’m very proud (perhaps too proud) of where I came from and enjoy heading back now and again. Besides the all too scary trips to Wal-Mart (you never know who you will run into and more often than not, I probably don’t really want to see them anyway) it’s a ridiculously relaxing time. Because it’s been awhile since I’ve been home when it’s a. nice out and b. a non-holiday/wedding/special occasion, I was able to seriously enjoy all things home this go around.

After telling stories of some recent stupidity (accidentally leaving my unlocked car running for an extended period of time on a downtown street AND leaving my laptop in the hotel parking lot in Dubuque), Mom [Lois] (smartly) encouraged me to slow down. And so I did this weekend, taking in the small town vibe and figuring out that we can all learn from small Iowa town living. Here’s the synopsis.

1. The doorbell. When was the last time you doorbell rang unexpectedly (or your door was knocked on, if you don’t have this convenience?) Better yet, when was it rang (or knocked) and someone you wanted to see was the on the other side (not a pesky neighbor, religious recruiter or girl scout solicitor?) Probably been awhile… right? I feel like I’ve gotten away from the random and too focused on the schedule. While my parents definitely are calendar people, they also aren’t afraid to drop on by a friend’s for a beer just because and definitely welcome that unexpected doorbell whenever it rings. Watch out Des Moines friends, I may be stopping by unannounced soon.

2. The ride. Growing up, we always went for car rides. Sometimes it included a stop for ice cream (in the summer) or to look a Christmas lights, but we would often cruise the streets as a family. We did so again over the weekend, both in vehicle and bike form. It was super relaxing… and made me realize the calming effect of cruising the streets just because... without racing through yellow lights due to an agenda or time crunch.

Side note: my parents are the owners of new Schwinn cruiser bikes. Bri and I have added it to our purchase list. I can’t wait to get one!

3. The wave. Everyone in a small town waves. Whether they know you or not. And it makes me happy. Even Bri became hooked on it and waved like a beauty queen as we rode the streets on a bicycle built for two (a team building experience on its own… another story for a different day). Being acknowledged is refreshing. And living in a town where I know an extremely small percentage of people, being acknowledged is a rarity, especially when on the road. While adopting a constant wave in Des Moines would be a large investment of my time and driving safety, it’s a good idea in theory so maybe I’ll adopt it on a more limited basis.

Our DQ looks similar to this

4. The power of simple. We had a Dairy Queen in town throughout my childhood and it’s still thriving today. It’s an old school DQ… sans Brazier branding. In fact, they refuse to remodel it because they will have to join the Brazier ranks and complicating things with hot dogs, fries and chicken strips is not in the owner’s life time plan. While some might argue this is a closed-minded way of business, I would disagree. They believe in the power of simple. While I enjoy the Des Moines conveniences of a Hy-Vee every few miles, endless restaurant options and malls galore, keeping it simple is something I need to remember more often than not. And I think the summer is a good starting point in my (hopefully successful) transformation.

So I entered the work week on an extremely positive note; after a fantastic weekend with great people and some new takes on my current life situation. And while, I understand the above will probably not drastically change your life or cause the light from heaven to shine down with a hallelujah chorus, hopefully it’ll help remind ya to slow down a little. After all, it’s summer… and Lois says so.