Can't Take the Small Town Out of the Girl

I was thinking about how to end this blog.  This song, "Who Says You Can't Go Home" by Jennifer Nettles and Bon Jovi sums it up perfectly.  I spent the past 18 years of my life trying to leave my small town.  I felt suffocated and wanted to go out and meet the rest of the world.  I wanted to explore, to find a new lifestyle, to be on my own!  But the past year has shown me that as far away as I can get from my small town, I have noticed that I take it with me whereever I go.

I have noticed that regardless of where I am, I will always be a small town girl.  Countless times, I have had to go back upstairs because I forgot to lock my door.  I have walked right into my friends rooms without remembering that the polite thing to do is knock (of course, this has only happened to my closest friends though!).  Instead of wishing I had some Oragel, I have found myself wishing I had a shot of whiskey to numb my tooth.  I have had many conversations with my friends here where I realized the things I do, the words I say, the beliefs I have aren't shared universally. 

I have realized that living in a small town has been integral to my person.  I wouldn't be who I am today if it wasn't for where I grew up.  I love going to the mall and dressing up, but I also love getting dirty on the quads or heading out for shooting practice.  Lilly is a part of who I am.  And no one can take that away from me.

I hope those reading this blog have been able to see how special small towns are.  I hope that they have been able to fall in love with my small town as deeply as I have.  It may be different, it may be uncanny, but it is pure.  I enjoy being in State College, but I can't wait to go back to Lilly in the summer.

School Family

When I went home this weekend for Easter, I ran into a couple friends from high school.  We chatted for a while, catching up since we havent seen each other since graduation.  We asked each other what we knew of other people from our class, exchanging such gossip for a good hour.  It made me realize how close my graduating class was.  I'm not so sure that places outside of a small town can be that way.

My entire graduating class

I am positive that everyone has had close friends in high school.  You hung out and spent a lot of time with this group of people.  But depending on the size of your graduating class, you might not have been so close with everyone in the class.  I can't imagine graduating with thousands of people, like some of my friends have told me.  You could not possibly get to know the whole group on a personal level.  I graduated with 136 people.  I can still name every one of the people.  I can tell you their parents, their friends, where they lived, and even more.  No, I wasn't a creeper.  But I spent 13 years with them.  I had classes with all of them.  I had field trips with all of them.  I rode the bus with all of them.  I KNEW them all.



Joey (middle; standing) with his graduating class



Schools all around my house were just as small.  My friend Josh graduated with 180.  My friend Marissa graduated with 110.   My cousin Joey's class was even smaller; he graduated with 66 people.  Before graduation, Joey and I talked about how close we were to our class, and how sad it was that we were leaving them all.  We also were kind of scared for heading off to college.  We grew up with the same 136 (or 66 for him) people.  It has always been the same people with the same atmosphere.  I do miss that camaraderie.  But Penn State has shown me that stepping out of your comfort zone isn't so bad.  Thrown into a situation where I was no longer with all people that I knew, I have learned a lot about networking.  It's a new experience to have to start over making new friends.  While I miss the closeness of Penn Cambria, Penn State is definitely preparing me for the working world.  The world is much bigger than a small town, and I am more than ready to expand!

Here Comes Peter Cottontail...

As I came into my town earlier this evening, I noticed things were different from the last time I travelled home.  The sights, the smells, the decorations only confirmed one thing to me:  Easter is here!  I don't know about other places, but in Lilly, Christian holidays are a big deal.  Christmas and Easter are the biggest holidays around.  It is such a community event, and we have a rough schedule that we follow every year!

First of all, my high school never had a spring break.  Ever.  It sucked.  But what we did have was Good Friday and Easter Monday off.  (For people who don't know, that is the Friday before and Monday after Easter).  So it's as close to a spring break as we can get. 

Good Friday is important.  It is the day that Christ died.  From 12-3, it is known as the Hours of Agony-- the three hours that he spent on the cross until he died.  I don't mean to give a religion lesson, but I had to explain this because in Lilly, everything closes for those 3 hours.  The bank, the post office, the corner store, the hardware store, EVERYWHERE.  I am not saying that all of the towns around us do the same thing, but for the most part, a lot of places do close.  During that time, there is mass at my church (and I assume at the other churches in my town.  It is hard for me to say though, because I am Catholic, and the other churches are Lutheran, Methodist, etc). 

Trey, at the egg hunt in my yard

Saturday is a fun day.  We take the kids to egg hunt after egg hunt.  The church, the fire hall, my aunt's church, a couple of the bars (yes, in my town, the bars get involved); all of these places hold egg hunts on their properties.  I remember having so much fun at these events.  Likewise, when we take my nephews to them now, they are ecstatic about finding the eggs.  After all of this fun, we head up to my grandmother's house to color eggs. 

Sunday is Easter.  We wake up and run downstairs to find that the Easter bunny yet again stopped at our house and left us baskets.  Of course, we are all old enough now to know it is our parents, but seeing the excitement on my nephews' faces is priceless.  We eat a breakfast of candy, more candy, some cereal, with a dessert of candy.  All sugared up, we go to church at 8 oclock.  For this mass, we all dress up moreso than usual.  Typically, my sisters and I wear our Easter dresses and the males wear a full suit.  Once the mass is over, we head to my grandmothers, where we get yet another basket, and have a little egg hunt through her house for the children.

Troy, at my grandmother's house

Easter dinner is one of my favorites.  Ham, yams, potatoes, harutka (don't know how to spell that.  It's an egg-like food from my slovak side), deviled eggs, and miscellaneous other sides await me at the table. I eat as much at Easter as I do at Thanksgiving.  I regret it later on, when my stomach is about to burst, but in the moment everything is so good!

I am sure that many other towns, big or small, have similar events for Easter.  I enjoy it at home, though, because the sense of community and togetherness permeates the whole holiday.  At egg hunts you see people you haven't seen in a while.  You find out people had children over the past year.  You catch up on everything.  At church people who don't usually come every Sunday  decide to join in the celebration for Easter.  Everyone dresses up nicer than usual.  It is nice to see everyone put forth such a great effort for this occasion.  I am sure similar experiences exist, but I can only hope that other people enjoy Easter as much as I do!

Remedies from a Small Town

Picture by: Legends of America

Today I had one of the worst days in a while.  Everything seemed to go wrong.  And to top it all off, I had a toothache.  Yea, it doesn't sound like a big deal, but maaaannnn that sucker hurt!  I bought some oragel, but that didn't seem to do the trick.  And I thought to myself, "These are the times that I wish I was home!"  Why?  Because at home we have many different remedies to fix every ache imaginable!

These remedies may not be normal.   Some may not even be legal...but all have worked for my family, and many around us.  So I figured I would let other people in on some of the secrets!

First back to the toothache.  What to do when you have that ache in your mouth that is driving you crazy.  Back at home, we use something that isn't quite conventional.  I am not trying to joke around when I say that to get rid of a toothache, you should just take a shot of whiskey.  Don't actually swallow (though of course, you CAN afterward if you want to ;) ) but instead, hold the shot over the tooth that is hurting.  I am not sure personally what in whiskey does this, but the whiskey actually numbs the spot.  It works even better than oragel or any toothache medicine!  Likewise, when babies are teething, some people dip their finger in whiskey and run the finger over the baby's gums to numb the pain for them.  This is obviously not enough for the baby to even swallow anything, but it definitely calms them down.

JackDaniels.com

Another nice cure is when you have a rash.  I see it more for baby rashes, but it can work on other rashes as well.  You mix corn starch and vitamin E together, and smear it onto the rash.  In no time at all, the rash will go away.  In the same respect, if you get a minor burn, dipping the burn into milk leeches the burn out and relieves the pain a lot. 

What can you do if you have a killer headache and the advil/tylenol doesn't work?  Well, before running to the doctor, try putting vicks vapor rub on your temples.  If the headache is bad enough, also hold an ice pack overtop of it.  I've done this many times at home, and it reallly seems to help.

There ya go.  Some at-home small town remedies to help some aches and pains.  There are many more that I have heard of, but these ones are ones that I myself have actually used, and have found to work. 

Church Pew and Barstool Kind of Town

Today I was listening to some country music while studying outside.  I was listening to Jason Aldean on Pandora, specifically.  One of his songs came on, "Church Pew and Barstool."  I have never heard this one before, but as I was listening to it, I couldn't believe how true it was. 

The song goes along the lines of the fact that in small towns there are a lot of churches and bars.  It also tells of how the community judges people based on these two places.  How you are a church goer, or you bar hop.  And that there are some people in between.  I can completely relate to that!

Picture by The Diocese of Altoona/Johnstown

If you asked a group of people from Lilly to describe the town, one person would look at the others, laugh, and say, "Oh, you know, Lilly: the town of about 10 bars, 10 churches, and a couple houses in between."  Take my house for example.  Directly across the road from it is the GBU, a bar.  Down the alley from my house is Sokol's, a Slovak club.  And further down the street is George's Bar and Grill.  That is just within a block from my house!  There is still many more around the town.  Talking about churches, there is 2 Catholic Churches, a Luteran church, a Polish church, and a Methodist church within 2 blocks from my house.  So, regardless of how funny that statement could be, it is actually quite true!

A picture of the GBU from my yard

At community events, there is always talk among people about others.  Let's face it, we all like to gossip.  When I am sitting with my grandmother, I always hear the old ladies talking.  "Oh, you know those McCabes.  Poor Jim has to wheel Aggie in anymore.  But you know, they always make it to 11 oclock mass, bless their hearts."  "Oh boy, that Plummer boy better wise up.  Paul said he has been to the bar every night this week.  EVERY NIGHT! But did we see him in church this week, no we did not!  It's quite a shame.  Especially since his mother is such a sweetheart."  "You have to laugh at Old Shminn.  He enjoys his beer alright, but regardless of how he feels in the morning, he makes it to mass.  I suppose that's all that matters."  The comments go on.  But everyone is labeled by their attendance in church or the bars. 

So I listened to this song and had to laugh.  My family and I have always joked about how many churches and bars are in our town.  I never thought about the fact that other small towns could be like that too!

At the bonfire, out in the sticks

      I don't know about anyone else, but I am definitely LOVING this weather.  After an unsuccessful week in Hawaii (where it rained everyday) it has been much needed.  The weather makes me want summer to be here right now.  In any event, it has me missing home.  Good weather meant one thing for the weekends: fires.  Bonfires, campfires, fires in the backyard, I love them all. 

Photo by: Michele Simonet

Fires are the site of most social gatherings.  I'm sure that most of us have been to them.  I can't imagine a different way to hang out with my friends in..well...every season besides Winter.  Sitting around the fire, making smores, listening to music.  It's the best time in the world!  Some of my favorite memories are from around the fire.  There were many summers where my friends and I would play hide and seek, or other games, where the fire was base (of course, the FIRE wasn't base, but the deck around it).  One time, my friends and I were all sitting there, talking about the summer (this was at the end of August last summer, right before we came to school).  All of a sudden, my friend Michele, who was falling asleep, yells "Oh S&!#" and you hear a loud rip.  Her chair ripped and she fell through it.  Hilarious!  My favorite moments are just telling stories throughout the night.

Even in high school, everyone loved fires.  Fridays, in class, you can hear everyone talking about who is having a fire and inviting others to come.  Smores, hot dogs, and drinks are always there.  Music keeps the party flowing.  It is always a good time.

Fires are also central to my family gatherings.  Pig roasts are very common.  Once the pig is finished, we keep the fire going long into the night.  When my family camps at Raystown Lake, we have fires every night.  Sometimes, it is nice to sit by the campfire and watch the stars.  Also, there are traditions associated with fires.  Every Portage Homecoming football game, my uncle Joe has a fire in his backyard.  Even though I do not go to Portage high school, I still come over to spend time with everyone.  Our whole family knows he has this party, and usually most people attend. 

So, I'm heading home this weekend.  What's on the agenda? Fire on Friday night! :D

Do you believe in the 2nd amendment?

It has always been a national debate, whether or not the right to bear arms is good.  However, where I live, there is no debate.  Guns are a part of our lives.  I can't honestly remember a time that there wasn't a riffle or pistol in my house.  My Gram and Pap have two gun cabinets in their back room.  My uncle has a couple in the garage.  There are two that are mine, specifically.  Most people in my town are this way.  Not everyone; some people choose not to.  But it is more common to at least have one, even if you don't shoot it often. 

Until recently, I have just thought that being around guns was what everyone did.  I am so accustomed to being around them that I didn't even think that others may not.  But now thinking about it, people who live in the heart of Philly, or in less rural places would not have the ability that I did.  It's sad really, because I love them.

On the outskirts of my town there are some coal dumps from the old mines.  I've mentioned them before, in a previous post (you should check it out, its my favorite! "Gotta Get a Little Mud on the Tires").  Anyway, people go up there all the time to set up targets.  It's a fun time practicing and having contests. 

I have been shooting guns since I can remember.  My family has talked about it all my life.  Actually, they start telling us when we are young the importance of gun safety.  We have allowed my nephew, Troy shoot our beebee guns.  Of course there were a TON of adults with him, and never by himself.  The other picture I have is just a funny one I took at my camp. 

Everyone knows the danger surrounding guns.  Many people avoid them because of this.  But not everyone knows the fun and excitement of them.  My family hunts.  My family target practices.  I wish other people could witness and experience these things.  Because they are things that people from small towns can and do enjoy.

Open House!

This past Sunday was my birthday.  My best friend, Steph, told me she was going to come up here to spend the day with me.  If that wasn't exciting enough, she said she would be bringing my nephews with her.  I was ecstatic!  When I woke up in the morning, the first thing I did was call Steph to see when she would be leaving.  She assured me that she would be leaving around noon.  So when 1 oclock rolled around, I was kind of worried when she wasn't here yet.  I called her, and she said she hadn't left yet.  Where was she? At my house!  For the past hour, she was sitting there, talking with my parents, and eating a burger.  I laughed.  I am an hour away, and yet my best friend is currently at my house eating lunch.  The only thing is, this isn't so uncommon.

There have been multiple times where I would come home from work at 11 at night.  I would pull up beside my house to see Steph's car in my place.  She is inside, making pizza with my sister, or watching the History Channel with my dad (his favorite channel).  It soon became customary.  And vice versa.  I have been at her house plenty of times without her there.  She would walk in as I am on the ground playing with her dog.  Or I would tell her that I am on the way to her sister's house to visit her nieces and nephew-meet me there.

Steph and I are not the only ones who are like this.  The whole town, and even the ones surrounding it, are the same way.  In fact, my cousin, Danielle, told me a story that she and her mother went to the store.  When they got back, they heard someone in the living room.  Curious (especially since the dogs weren't barking) they creeped in.  In the living room they found Danielle's friend, Johanna, eating a sandwich.  My aunt asked her how she got in, since she KNEW she locked the door.  Johanna's reply was "Don't be silly, I know the back door is always open.  The lock to the gate is Keith's birthday, so I just came around the back.  As if Jake and Chevy (the dogs) would hold me back.  Want a sandwich?"

Similarly, the children in my town are always walking around and inviting themselves into people's homes.  When I was younger, we used to always go to my neighbor's house to play.  While his children were all grown up and moved away, he still kept a rope swing and toys for us to play with.  In the fall he would rake his leaves into a huge pile by a wall so that we could jump down into them.  In the winter he would bring us into his kitchen for hot chocolate and cookies.  This tradition continues.  I see children at Ron's house all the time.  Often times, I will come home to find Gregory, a kid who is about 10 years old, at my house.  He plays with my brother all the time.  What is funny, however, is that whenever my brother doesn't want to hang out, I will come home to find my brother upstairs, and Gregory STILL in my house, just playing downstairs on the wii or xbox. Yet other times, a child by the name of Nicholas comes around.  He is much younger than any of us (he MIGHT be 4 years old?) yet we all come outside to play catch with him.  It works out much better when my nephews are around.  Nevertheless, the picture here shows my family carving pumpkins, with Nicholas there as well.

In the end, whether you are best friends, playmates, or just a child from the town, Lilly has an open-door policy.  You are always welcome in everyone's home.  :)

Gotta Get a Little Mud on the Tires

It's a nice day out.  Sun is out, it's pretty warm.  What do you and your friends decide to do?  Go play a game of volleyball?  Go to the mall?  Maybe go swimming?  All of these are good answers.  But around my town, there is another answer, one that I would choose over all the others.  What is that you may ask?  Go riding of course!

Picture by: Michele Simonet

Around Lilly there are a lot of trails and coal dumps.  These are prime conditions for quad riding.  All throughout spring, summer, and fall you will see people driving up and down the roads (which I may say is illegal, but in a town with 0 cops, who is going to stop you?) to go ride on the trails.  I LOVE riding.  Now, I don't have a quad of my own, but that doesn't stop the fun.  If my cousins come over, they bring an extra quad for me.  Friends also come along, and it's a grand old time.  The one picture I put up on here is in the parking lot behind my uncles house.  It is of me, a couple of cousins, and some of our friends getting ready to go on a quad run.  One of the most fun memories of my life, I will never forget how muddy and dirty we got! (The other picture I put up is not NEARLY the muddiest we have ever gotten!)

I have had many memories while riding.  My first time I drove the quad by myself, I misjudged a turn.  I was going too fast to make the turn, and ran into a stump.  Besides falling off of the quad, I also uprooted the stump.  Every time we go past that stump my friends and I all laugh.  Once, it rained the entire time we were riding.  We came back sopping wet and miserable.  From that time on, we have checked the weather before heading far away from the house.  Another time we were riding for a long time.  Eventually we got lost, which was not uncommon (many times we purposely got lost just to find new trails back home) but we also realized we were almost out of gas.  Not the most pleasant circumstances, but in any event, it was a learning experience. 



Picture by: Michele Simonet



The moral of this story is that sometimes, it is fun to get down and dirty.  Going out into the woods and riding trails can be just as enjoyable as playing volleyball or shopping at the mall.  Though I can be a clean freak, I love riding through huge mud puddles and going around turns, thus spraying my friends with mud.  It's a sense of freedom that I can't quite explain to someone who hasn't been out there.  But for people in Lilly, and I am sure in other small towns, it's a feeling that we all know quite well.  Sometimes, you just gotta get a little mud on the tires.

I've Got Your Back, You've Got Mine

Coming to Penn State, I've had to learn many new things.  First and foremost, was to rely on only myself more.  Not that other people are untrustworthy or anything.  But I have had to adapt to being around strangers all the time.  Back home, everyone relies on each other.  Most people go out of their way to help another person.  Up here at State, we just don't have that sense of community.  It's definitely a different atmosphere between the two.

For one thing, I never had to worry about locking things when I was at home.  If you really wanted to, you could go for a ride to Lilly and be able to get into my car right now.  I'm pretty sure the keys are not in it, but usually in the day time, they are.  My house only gets locked if we are away for an extended time.  I dont think we have ever locked our motor home, which sits behind my uncle's house (remember I mentioned before, he lives in the house right behind mine).  It's just not needed.  Many times, my friends have called me, saying "Hey I'm away for the weekend, will you feed my dog?" and I just walk into the house.  I can ask my neighbor if I can borrow something with the reply of "Sure, the garage is open."  Here at Penn State, however, I have to remember to lock my door every time I leave the room; this is a task that took me a while to master.  It goes even to the gyms, where you have to find a locker to put your stuff into.  Maybe that is how the world is nowadays, but it's just not what I am used to.

Photo by: The Community of Lilly, Pa

In Lilly we all help each other.  When my uncle was patching up my grandparent's garage roof, there were 5 guys from the community up there with him.  When my car broke down, a couple people from the community stopped by to try to help my dad fix it.  Whenever Christmas time comes around, may of the people come together to decorate.  Other events are all ran by volunteers.  For the church picnics and bingos, my aunt always enlists my help.  It even goes deeper.  When my neighbor and her husband broke up, there were many long hours on the porch just listening to her.  Another time, one of the scariest in my life, was when my neighbor Wayne hit his head and collapsed in the kitchen.  His wife sent her granddaughter to my house for my mother's help, but she was not home.  I ran over to see them on the floor.  I called 911 and helped Elaine control the situation.  When she drove to the hospital, she did not have to worry about the children because she knew I would keep them over at my house. 

The point I am making is, in a small town, you never have to worry about being alone.  No one will steal your things or hurt your family.  Rather, we all stick together.   We all know that if one needs help, all of the rest will be there.  After all, it's called a community for a reason.  And I wouldn't trade mine for the world.

Everybody Dies Famous in a Small Town

My grandmother called me over the weekend.  After the same old "how are you" and "how is classes going"  we started to talk about people in our community.  At the grocery store she saw Diamond, a girl I graduated with, with her daughter, who is now 6 months old.  Her neighbor's son got married last weekend.  Our priest got surgery on his neck last week.  And multiple people asked her how I was up here, if I went to the Joe Paterno memorial, etc.  When I hung up with her I talked to my parents.  From them I found out that two of my friends broke up after dating for many years.  Amy and Bailey, a woman from the community and her dog, stopped by like old times and caught up.  Later on that night I looked back on all of this.  I had to ask myself, do people from other communities have these conversations?

I don't know the answer to that question.  But what I do know, is people from small towns DO have these conversations.  As I mentioned in my previous post, everybody knows everything about everyone. This isn't like a typical high school gossip session though.  The thing is, in small towns (or at least, in MY small town) people do not just talk, but also people remember.  People remember that during high school, I was in all of the musicals.  People remember that my neighbor, Ron, is the guy who decorates his yard for every holiday.  People remember all of the things about each other.  Pat Podrasky may not be a name that registers to anyone around here, but in Lilly, he is the kindest guy around, the one who was a plummer and electrician; he was the guy that helped work on most buildings around.  He was the guy who humbly ascended to the present mayor of the town.  Steve is the man who has played Santa since 1996.  Jack Barlick is the veteran who puts together everything for the Legion and War Memorial. 

The list goes on.  But the point is, everyone has an identity.  It is always fun to go the town carnival or town picnic. Everyone reminisces past stories.  Going to these small events is like being a star on the red carpet.  You see someone you know and get tons of pictures with them.  Then to the next person.  I walk up to one person, who excitedly asks if I have seen so-and-so.  Which I reply yes, but did you see this person.  There are people within the crowd who stand above others, those some who have done great things within the community that warrant our respect.  There are also some people who we may not respect necessarily, but who we appreciate as one of our own nonetheless.  For example, Zeke, a man who has been around since my father was young, is the official town drunk.  You can always tell if someone is from Lilly because he or she knows this man.  Regardless of his inebriation, though, he is one of the nicest and most generous men.  He would gladly give you the shirt off his back, and I do mean that literally.

In any event, what I am trying to say is that when you live in a small town, you aren't just a face among the crowd.  You are an icon among many others.  Each individual stands out, and they all remember each other.  Living in Lilly, I have learned that you don't have to be a movie star or a political leader to gain fame.  All you have to do is live in a small town.  Because everybody dies famous in a small town.

Back Where I Come From

Before I actually start this blog, I think I should probably start with a little bit about myself and where I come from.  I grew up in Pennsylvania all my life.  I live in a town called Lilly, which is so small I guarantee no one has heard of unless they either lived there or passed through there on accident. So for directional's sake, I live just south of Altoona, between that and Johnstown.  The biggest move I have ever had was from the house in my backyard to my current house, maybe fifty yards away.  So no amazing stories about my travels.  My uncle now lives in that house, my sister lives five houses up the road, my grandparents live two streets over, and sometimes I feel crowded by those facts.

Picture of Lilly from atop a hill by: Jen Foust

According to zip-codes.com, Lilly's current population is 2,602, but that seems like too high of a number to me.  In any event, I grew up with the same people all my life. I can name at least half of all those people, and I guarantee they can all name me.  They may not necessarily know "Tricia,"  but they do know "that Martino girl"  "Chris's daughter"  "Mary and Jim's granddaughter"  "the girl that was in the musical" "the girl in the third pew at 8 oclock mass," etc.  I can't go anywhere without seeing and talking to a ton of people I know.  And the people know everything!  Small town gossip spreads quicker than wildfire.  In high school, one of the girls in my grade got pregnant.  Not two days after she told about it, my grandmother told me she found out from her neighbor that the girl was pregnant, and she asked me what I thought about it.  Anyway, that is the town I grew up in, and my dad grew up in, and my grandparents too.

Like any other 18 year old kid, I wanted to get away once I graduated.  I was super excited when I got accepted into Penn State.  It was sort of close to home, about an hour away.  But it was far enough away that I was on my own.  It is a whole different world here.  I step out of Mifflin and as I walk down Pollock I see double the population of Lilly while on my way to class.  I love it here.  As time has went on though, I have really started to appreciate my roots.  I never realized how much value I put on my small town.  And so, I decided on this blog.  Because I learned a lot from living in a small town.  And I hope you do too.