Small Town Appreciation, Bye Bye Scobey

So I have been back in Scobey now for the past 5 weeks and tonight is my last night for a little while. It has been a few years since I have spent this much time back in my little home town. A lot of mixed emotions are presented but there is always a great appreciation that I have for this place I call home. Not many people have experienced coming from a rural community and many would not understand the structure, culture, or environment. Scobey is a little town with no stop light, 6 bars, 5 churches, 1 school, a county newspaper, post office, two grocery stores, a bowling alley , a nine hole golf course and movie theatre still owned and run three nights a week by Edgar, a 80 year old long time resident. A little town where it's ok to leave your house unlocked and your keys in the car ignition. It is found as a little speck on the horizon of this big sky country. Its surroundings can be described as the amber waves of grain, just like the words from a little song you may know called America the Beautiful. It is a community where everyone knows everyone’s business whether you want them to or not but also a community that pulls together for everyone in their time of need. Here, you look out for each other, you support each other, and you call everyone by name. For example just last week a special community man passed away early one morning and by 9 that next day three dinners were already planned for the family. Everyone pitched in to set up a space, cook, bake, and clean-up, three nights in a row.
You may wonder what there is to do but there is plenty. It may not be like the big city but I remember keeping myself busy back in the day and it sure doesn’t seem like anyone has any trouble these days either. Shopping and clubbing just aren’t on the list :) Which is good for me since I’m not really into either of them :) People look forward to league nights of bowling, golf, darts or cards, community dinners, high school sporting events, snowmobile runs, bar dances, high school or community music concerts, and friendly get-togethers. It is a little tougher to get as involved when your not living here any more but that’s ok when it’s short term. It’s a nice, quiet, relaxing get-away but now I’m ready to get back to my reality again, whatever that may be :)
Never will I regret growing up here nor will I dread coming back. It has been my “home” now for the past 29 years and always will be.