I've lived in a big city, a couple of college towns, and on an island. Now I'm trying to wrap my mind around establishing roots in Smalltown, U.S.A. It's always been an attractive notion to me- walking my kids to school, supporting local businesses, knowing my neighbors, using already existing structures- but there are ramifications I hadn't considered. I'm still a fan, but it is a huge adjustment. I think the permanence is hard to conceive.Because of all this, there have been lots of thoughts and ideas running around in my head, about place, identity, opportunity, exposure. To make these thoughts productive, I'm going outside of myself- always a good idea, something we should all do more often.
These topics are creeping into conversation and leading to all sorts of other discussions, all very interesting. And without intention, they are also guiding my eyes as I read. Just recently, my husband pointed me to this blog posting by Alan Jacobs from the American Scene. My eyes have been resting here ever since. It, as well as the links he highlights, is a large part of what I'm processing right now.
It's no longer just a topic in one of my sociology classes, it's the reality in which I now live. More to come on this, I'm sure.
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