Small Town Politics

Jan 27, 2012 by Lauren

Last night I had an interesting experience.  I’ve blogged numerous times here before about how I’m learning that things are different in small towns.  I hope that through those previous posts, you all know that I try very hard not to believe stereotypes.  Especially not about small towns.  What I learned last night is that although stereotypes are usually gross exaggerations, by their very definition even exaggerations have a kernel of truth in there somewhere.

Before I moved here, the main stereotype I heard about small towns is that everyone knew everyone else’s business, private or otherwise.  In some respects, I’ve found that to be an accurate assessment, although the reason everyone knows other people’s private business is that someone shared something intended to remain private.  If you tell someone, it’s not a secret anymore, you feel me?

But the real issue I’m finding to be true is that small town people, and by this I mean the people who were born and raised here and never left, don’t like “outsiders.”

Regardless, the point is, when I meet girls around here who I actually like, I do everything I can to make sure I remain friends with them.  It’s hard to find good female friends, I don’t care where you live.  But it is harder here.

I mean, come on, I was in a sorority…I’m USED to being around women pretty frequently.  I’m used to having a core group of female friends to surround myself with and I love knowing those girls have my back and vice versa.  And while I still have that core group, we’ve all spread out to various parts of the country, so it’s hard to keep up.  I need to have local girls I can count on.  So when I hear about a situation like the one I heard about last night, I get pretty riled up.

Last night, I met a friend’s girlfriend for the first time.  Although they’ve been dating for several months, she isn’t from “these parts” (although she IS from a small town) and has repeatedly gotten some flack from Havana women for being “city folk” (which I find hilarious, given that she currently lives in a town of roughly 2600 people and, BY THE WAY, that town is actually a SMALLER town than Havana).

I thought the “mommy wars” were bad, but sheesh.  These “women” got in my friend’s face, told her she didn’t belong here, this is “their land, not her land” (technically, I believe Mason County is no man’s land, but I digress…) and made several other stupid, yet bullying type statements.

WHAT IS THE DEAL, “LADIES?!?!”  We are supposed to support each other, love each other, help each other out.  I’m starting to think there’s a reason men are running the damn world and it’s because women are too busy fighting each other rather than fighting for what matters.  Ugh.  I thought we were all supposed to be adults by now.

In summary, eat a Girl Scout cookie and shut the hell up.