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I am not a habitual listener to country music, but recently on a road trip I decided to leave my normal genre of music and expand my musical horizons. As I spun the radio dial, it landed on a country station. I listened to the words, and they reminded me just how deeply this music is rooted in the simplistically beautiful American way of life. It celebrates God, country, family, love, loss, nature, bonfires, backroads -- oh, and pickup trucks.
I was especially moved by the story told through a collaboration featuring Kelsea Ballerini and Kenny Chesney, entitled "Half of My Hometown." In this song, they celebrate their hometown, Knoxville, Tennessee. They acknowledge every part of it, including the diversity (thus the title "Half of My Hometown"). After all, isn't that what makes our hometown unique? Think of the colorful characters that you see on the street each day -- what would your hometown be without them? For me, it includes that person who stops in our office nearly every day to sing upstairs in the historic courtroom because he loves the acoustics. I hear his voice echoing down the stairs and into the hall, and it makes me feel warm and connected.
Perhaps for you it is the barista who always offers you a smile, draws a funny picture on your cup, and knows exactly what you order. It could be the bookstore owner who goes out of her way to let you know your favorite author just published another book. For you it may be the clerk at your favorite grocery store that always asks about your family, or the person filling your gas tank that tells you to have a great day. They all weave together to make up our hometown.
I once had a visitor from a large city who went for a walk with me. She was very confused as she observed me saying hello to everyone I passed. She later asked me if I knew all those people I had greeted. I answered that I did not, but that's just what we do -- we say hello. She commented that she normally doesn't make eye contact on the street and just keeps moving. We may not have all the amenities that a city can offer, but we certainly enjoy the many benefits of living in a close-knit community.
The song also talks about the fact that some stayed, while others chose to move on, but even for those who chose to leave, part of them, through their many memories, will always remain in their hometown. Could the town use some improvement? Sure. As they put it, it could use a fresh coat of paint, but I guess that is where we all come in. We need a renewed pride in our hometown. A conscious effort to do what we can to make it beautiful for ourselves and future generations. I love it when my children come back home and I hear them say things like, wow, town looks great, or I can't believe this is Lewistown, there has been so much improvement. One son who lives in Philadelphia commented during a recent trip through Big Valley that he forgot how green and beautiful everything was.
Let's do our best not to forget what we have in our hometown, wherever yours happens to be. The song goes on to say, "Back roads raise us, highways take us, memories make us wanna go back to our hometown."
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Rhonda Kelley is executive director of the Juniata River Valley Chamber of Commerce.