Here’s to My Hometown! (Thank you, Grand Rapids, Minnesota)

When I was in high school, I couldn’t wait to get out.  It was too small, too claustrophobic. When I walked down the sidewalk by Central Square Mall or through the doors of Target, I would inevitably bump into someone I knew.  I wanted anonymity.  I wanted to spread my wings.  I wanted to get away from the constant vigilance of worried small town parents and teachers.  So I did.

I left Grand Rapids, MN and I hardly looked back.  I was ready for new adventures and a new life.  I was anxious to leave behind bad high school and middle school memories and move on.  The next eight years were a whirlwind.  In that time, I graduated from college, lived in Portland and Panama, broke the law, visited ten countries, fell in and out of love, had numerous jobs, wrote a book…

Only now, eight years later, do I look back with true appreciation for my small hometown.  I’ve been given time to gain perspective and reflect on my experiences in Grand Rapids.  I’ve also had time to heal and learn to laugh about things like getting ditched by my date right before prom or blowing up the debate office microwave or my painful awkwardness around guys I liked.  Those things were horrifying at the time and it was cathartic for me to get away for a while, but now I’ve had enough distance.  I’ve had enough space.

It is time for me to reach out to my hometown again.  It has been there for me even when I rejected it.  The local paper always noted (largely thanks to my mom!) when I made the Dean’s List or received honors from college.  The parents of my friends who also flew the coop have welcomed me back time and again with open arms when I come to visit.  And now, after I have written and published my first novel, the town I grew up in has (once again) been nothing but supportive and  encouraging.  The Village Bookstore has even agreed to carry a few copies of “Elmer Left” on its shelves.

Enough perspective and distance for me.  Here’s a message to you, Grand Rapids:

You were the perfect place in which to grow up.  You offered me soccer games, piano and french horn lessons, 4-H meetings, hundreds of lakes, skiing, horseback riding lessons, and a top-notch education that has served as an incredible foundation for my life.  Thank you to the people and places that make Grand Rapids such an admirable little town.

I’ve been unappreciative and indifferent for too long.  It’s time for me to say thank you.