Yesterdays Travels

Yesterday I awoke shortly after 5am. Justin and Jareds football games were in Lakeside, AZ and we had to be there by 10:30. I figured if I left by 6 this would get me there in time. I'd never been to Lakeside but was told that depending on which I went it would be anywhere from 3-4 hours to get there. I decided to travel the shorter route which is thru Globe and the Salt River Canyon. Beautiful drive but very scary!! I had never been on such a winding road. I must admit it scared me a bit (especially driving home in the pitch black!!).
As I drove thru Globe, I thought of my friend Jana. She is from Globe (at least I think she is). I told the kids "this is where Jana is from". They were all excited because they knew someone that was actually from that little "hole in the wall". As I drove thru the town I wondered what it must be like to grow up in a place like that...No mall, no choice in grocery stores, no Wal-Mart, no Target, no Starbucks on every corner. Where do they go on Black Friday? How do these people function? What kind of torture is this! This lifestyle should be outlawed!
I am a military brat. I grew up in San Diego. I can honestly say that other than 4 years in my childhood (13-17) I have always been a "city girl". I have spent my life in San Diego, San Antonio and Phoenix. I mean, I have always lived in a city with a sports team. We've always had a zoo to visit. I frequented malls whenever I wanted. I ate in fancy restaraunts. If and when we needed a specialty store of any kind, there was one at our disposal. I could go to a major store every day if I needed to.
How, oh how, did Jana (or her mother) ever survive this life in a small town? No wonder she got out when she could! What kind of a life was this for anyone?
But then, I thought, maybe it is I who missed out on the great life. All of the things you can get in a big city and not in Globe are material. I was never able to look up and see the stars in the pitch black night sky. I couldn't run around aimlessly for hours without my parents fearing for my safety. And today, my children can't run around alone either. I never fell asleep to the soothing sound of nature. We never knew the satisfaction of walking into the store and knowing the cashier or actually knowing the people you're waving at as you drive by eachother. Just the small town feeling of familiarity is something I never knew. I never learned how to wait for anything (as far as having to go to town for something). It was all right there at my fingertips. Maybe it is I who was deprived as a child, maybe it is I who hasn't lived at all!!