The small group I’m in at church met on Saturday evening for a social event on a farm in a small town maybe twenty five minutes away from Omaha. We had a nice meal consisting of grilled bratwursts, tuna salad, and all sorts of other tasty munchies. As the sun went down, the temperature did too. Somebody started a bonfire and we gathered around each other, roasting marshmallows, making s’mores, and enjoying each other’s company.On the drive to and from the farm, my friends and I got a small taste of Americana. We saw a huge silo with an American flag on top. The flag wasn’t made of material though. It looked more like someone made it on a Lite-Bright (remember those?). Whatever the case, it was an electric version of the flag and you could see it way into the distance. We saw too many deer on the side of the road for my comfort level. We saw a herd of cows. And at one point, a huge dog chased our car down a dirt road.
As we drove through the small town, I told my friends I could see myself living in a small town like this one. I’d miss having multiple chain bookstores to choose from on the weekends, having a coffee shop on every major corner, and all of the other limits that come with small town life. But I think I’d enjoy hanging out in the local cafe, or the town library, or going to the high school football game on Friday night. I’m thinking the lack of options would make social outings more of an event rather than just something to do.
