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How lucky are we?By Holly Martin Sometimes it just takes a second to pause and remember how fortunate we are to be living in rural America. I recently took my son school shopping in the city. As we were driving in four lanes of traffic, he said, "I'm sure glad we don't live here." And I am too. Sure, the closest Starbucks is 129 miles from my house. I know. I looked it up on MapQuest. But the local café makes pretty good coffee, when I feel like driving seven miles to town. There's no 20-theater multiplex, but there's still a drive-in movie where the kids get out of their cars and play while the parents watch the one and only show. And there's no traffic, unless you count the four-wheel-drive John Deere planter and its slow moving vehicle sign. It's all a matter of choosing what's important. Starbucks and movie choice fall way down the list when compared to the advantages of living in rural America. My son has 16 children in his class. There's no chance that he would slide by when the class size is that small. We spent last week at the county fair, surrounded by other families who devote endless time and money to the children's 4-H projects, all because we know how much difference it will make in their lives. It is reminiscent of a time gone by, but with high speed Internet. No longer is rural America removed from the rest of the world. In fact, it is all available to us with the click of a mouse. It is the best of both worlds--access to everything, but the ability to choose. How lucky are we that our families aren't just a part of rural America--they are rural America. Holly Martin can be reached by phone at 620-227-1806, or by e-mail at hmartin@hpj.com. 8/4/08 Date: 7/31/08
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