Week One

With our first week nearly closed in this sparsely populated Southern burg (pop. 919), I have to give the whole place a B+. (It's odd how often I rate things with grades, though this makes some sense given my profession.) In my calculations, a B+ is well above average and teetering on the edge of an A (in most scales this is excellent), though many of my past students got all ugly and resentful if they earned a B+.

No friends or relatives have asked me what the town and people are like yet, but if they did, I'd say, "About like you'd expect" though this description might invite stereotyping. Many of my friends fled the small towns of their childhoods (usually these were much bigger than our current town) to live in cities like Chicago or Cincinnati or Indianapolis. They often point to societal intolerance of difference and religious homogeneity as motivators for moving away. That said, it seems like most often those who'd move from a big(ish) city to a miniscule town like ours would be returning, moving back to their hometowns after a time away. I suspect it would be like slipping between the familiar sheets of your childhood bed. Sure, it would be too small for you at first, but the crush of memories and personal history would help lull you into some kind of infantile stupor. Fondly remembered family members and school friends would be nearby to offer companionship. In town, you'd meet the eyes of friends from long ago and be excited to learn what they've been up to in the intervening years (10, 15, or 20). We moved to a town where we have no relations and no friends. My grandfather (a mid-Southerner from KY) assures me that we can expect a warm welcome and, for the most part, this has been the case.

The owners of the house we rented are life-long residents of the area (though they live in the slightly larger town nearby) and, I think, are typical Tennesseans. We were invited to their house and offered all kinds of hospitality when we signed a lease. They volunteer assistance and information whenever we call or see them. Yet, I get the same question from every local: "It's going to be quite a change from Chicago, isn't it?" Usually, this query is accompanied by a worried look. I'm not sure what exactly they are worried about, though. That I will have a bad experience in their town and be disappointed? That my citified attitudes and expectations will act as a corrupting influence?

We'll see