If You’re Not from a Small Town

If you’re not from a small town
You don’t know the privilege of knowing everyone
You don’t know where everyone is at a certain time
You don’t know how to have no freedom
You don’t know the feeling of being related to everyone whether it is by adoption
Or marriage or even by blood
You don’t know what it is like to have to put up with everyone you grew up with

If you’re not from a small town
You don’t know what it is like to have a class of only 15 people
You don’t know what it is like to have the same teacher for two to three years in a row
You don’t know what it is like to have grown up with everyone and meet no new people

If you’re not from a small town
You don’t know the feeling of being suffocated
You don’t know the feeling of not being able to do activities without everyone and their grandma knowing
You don’t know how it is to be the black sheep of the family because your grandma won’t claim you even though she knows that you are her granddaughter
You don’t know what it is like to be an offending name and try to prove that you aren’t that name that they are saying you are

You just don’t know what the feeling of freedom is if you live in a small town

Michelle Gartner