Small Town Girl

I read in an article recently that  geographies should not define your personality.Being a small town (Country) Girl I would say the fear of being small town has stopped me or made me think twice before doing certain things.I love my hometown and I proudly say I am a small town girl.But there are few things that we  find it  difficult or weird when we move to big cities.

When a young guy or girl leaves home he/she is full of dreams. They expect things will go their way. But as they have limited experience of life most of the time they succumb to unexpected situation which comes on daily basis in big cities. Here everyone is running for his/her dreams. But opportunities are limited so many dreams are broken every day here. To cope that and survive sometimes sucks entire life.

I moved out of my Hometown after my High School.I was excited and scared at the same time.This was the first time away from home.Away from everything I loved, Everything that meant a life to me till then .It wasn’t a big city but at least 2-3 times bigger than my Hometown.The first session of every lecturer used to be the Introduction of the students.There were times when I was scared to give my Intro.But with each passing day I learnt things, i learnt how to be confident.I decided I have leave my Small Town fears and to move ahead.

Most of my classmates were from the same City.It sure was difficult for me to explain where I am from.No one knows where your town is.Whenever someone asks where you’re from, your standard response is, “You probably haven’t heard of it”. Or I would quote the nearest City .Of course, the other person will undoubtedly deny that they haven’t heard of it, ask for the name, and then laugh and exclaim, “Yep! Never heard of it.”In a current day situation I would’ve opened my smart phone and showed them!! or they themselves would’ve checked it before i could do..

Other than the problem of telling where I am from , I did experience many other Challenges.In High School , i was one among the toppers and here i was not even among the Top 20!!Obviously the competition was high.First few days/months could extremely hell if you are a Shy type of person, which I was.

It doesn’t end here.I moved for my graduation to a different City.There were people  all around India.There was so much competition that you strive to give your best.And there were times I failed to give any competition.But sometimes by losing a battle you find a new way to win the War.

I  still hold my  hometown close to my heart though. I still sometimes use weird phrases that I always heard growing up or talk about what it was like when I was a kid, as though I  am nostalgic for the place that I did everything in my power to get away from.

My dad being a Coffee planter,  I am always  horrified by the fact we pay so much for just Coffee at Coffee day or Star Bucks. The coffee we make at home is the most purest and I feel is lot better compared to the ones we have at Coffee Day and Star Bucks.I am farmer’s daughter for life, and being a Vegetarian the food partly depends on what we find growing in the backyard which is fresh and seasonal.I do not remember my parents buying any fruits .Its always easy to pluck from the plants than buying you see.

 

The people in my place live a very quiet and simple life.And I grew up very close to nature,the peaceful environment.And the weekend outings used to be to our estates.I grew up in a Joint family and very close to my grand parents.The stories we hear are from my grandparents.I grew up playing games that those games I see in social media posts with the tag “You’ll remember this you are a 80’s Kid”.

And there were friends of mine who used to tell me what kind of games they played in Childhood, and what kind of Barbie Dolls they had and how they used to dress them up etc,it kept me thinking why didn’t I do all those or did I miss something important there.I sure did not play with them.I did not even know the Comic characters they are so fond of.

Even though I  love my  town or village there was a part of me that always wanted to  get out of that small, suffocating town with the same old people and remove yourself from the cycle of small town existence.

I always felt I missed out  or  a step behind on so many things.Like Cinema,Fashion, TV shows,celebrities etc.I was more into Regional Movies  and Music and TV serials. SO when people asked me if I watch “Friends” or “Game Of thrones “, In my head I am like “Dude!! Ninge Mayamrugha gotta ??? Mukhta Mukhta ???? TN Sitharam gotta??? LOL .But I also wanted to be one among them.I wanted to experience everything that’s possible.I did not have an idea one can get addicted to tv series like Friends, HIMYM etc until I did.I do not have a count of how many times I have watched these.

In fact,  quickly came to realize that I was deluded into thinking that city living was always glamorous, but I fell in love with it anyway, and learned that half the fun of it is complaining about it. I didn’t completely let go of my small-town ideas of what city life was like, a part of me is always there .

“Be a Roman , when In Rome ” A wise friend had once told me when i was explaining him of my lifestyle how I got used to the City Life and How I just transform into a silly Village girl when in my hometown.May be I just followed that.

The place where I grew up, a girl can go out to cities only for two reasons its either Marriage or Education.Of course I chose Education (it was too early marriage you know).I was known among my school friends as the really cool girl who took a chance and went to the big city to pursue her dreams.Sometimes I fantasize about what my life would be If i hadn’t left, and by doing so made me so , so grateful that I did.

Sometimes my  favorite part of the day is still just walking somewhere with my  headphones on, in my  fabulous  big city clothing because you know that half the fun of it is just being there, even if all you are doing is just being.

But I would like to say is being a small town girl did not stop me from what I wanted to become.I have grown into a better and stronger individual , with all the challenges and experiences that the cities I have lived in has given me.Because if there’s one thing that doesn’t change about a small town girl, it’s that the little things are the best things.

“In the great cities we see so little of the world, we drift into our minority. In the little towns and villages there are no minorities;people are not numerous enough. You must see the world there, perforce,Every man is himself a class; every hour carries its new challenge. When you pass the inn at the end of the village you leave your favourite whimsy behind you;for you will meet no one who can share it. We listen to eloquent speaking, read books and write them, settle all the affairs of the universe. The dumb village multitudes pass on unchanging; the feel of the spade in the hand is no different for all our talk: good seasons and bad follow each other as of old. The dumb multitudes are no more concerned with us than is the old horse peering through the rusty gate of the village pound. The ancient map-makers wrote across unexplored regions, ‘Here are lions.’ Across the villages of fishermen and turners of the earth, so different are these from us,we can write but one line that is certain, ‘Here are ghosts.’ (“Village Ghosts”)” 

― W.B. Yeats, The Celtic Twilight