LOVE in A Small Town

My mind and heart are full of massive smiles, amazing words and true happiness and love for those people that I grew up with in Escalon, California. I don't even know where to begin.

Last night I attended my friend Katie's wedding. I have known Katie and her amazing family since freshman year of high school. We ran cross country together, worked side by side in her family's pizza parlor, studied for history tests, ate lunch together, and laughed together. Like most of our friends in high school, neither of us had boyfriends. We were too busy focusing on our futures. Turns out, it took her 23 years to meet the right guy but when she did, she never looked back. They got engaged a few months ago and since then, I haven't been able to quell my excitement. Although Katie has traveled extensively and attended college in Ohio, she found her way back to Escalon and found her now husband locally. I knew that the wedding would be special and that it would bring together many people from Escalon whom I haven't seen in years.

I've never seen anyone SO truly happy in my life! As she and Dave stood in front of a couple hundred people at the church, their happiness radiated the entire room. Not only were their smiles huge but for a moment I was worried that Katie would fall forward because she was leaning towards Dave while their vows were being recited. The love between the two was apparent.

The love between parents and children was also apparent. Katie's father greeted us at the church with tears in his eyes. Her mother excitedly told us about an intimate moment Katie and Dave shared with each other. I witnessed my own mother wipe the tears from her eyes during the ceremony and the smile on my father's face was precious. I realized how much marriage means to parents and I realized how much I want to find someone to spend the rest of my life with. Someone who I can be adventurous with. Someone who makes my entire body smile. Someone who brings tears to my father's eyes.

The wedding reception served as a town reunion. I saw people I haven't seen in years. We took pictures and exchanged stories about our post-Escalon lives. I met fiances and boyfriends. Danced side by side school administrators, friends' parents and even caught the bouquet. I swear I was standing in the back with no intention of even trying to catch it. I just happened to stick up my arm and the next thing I knew I was holding a bunch of flowers! But hey, as Katie's mother told me...it was meant to be.

Anywho, being surrounded by such great people truly made me thankful for the unique upbringing I had. As much as I hated living in a small town, I've come to realize how much of a positive impact it has had on my life. I'm still trying to figure out why everyone in town remembers my family and I. We kept a low profile. My sister and I were fairly shy and I know that I didn't really "come into my own" until I went away to college. Yet, people remember us. Maybe it's because my sister and I are twins. Maybe it's because we have interesting names, or because we're the only Jews in town, or maybe it's because my family looks slightly different from the average person in Escalon. Who knows. Somehow we've made an impact on them. More importantly though, they've made an impact on me.

Below is my tribute to small town life.

I'm a world traveler and pride myself in being able to pick up and move wherever it is my heart desires. One would never know that I spent a large chunk of my life so far living in small towns in Northern California.

I consider Escalon, a town that once had a population of 5,000 people, as my childhood home. I spent my high school years engrossed in my classes and extra-curricular activities. I formed friendships that are sure to last a lifetime and memories that continue to make me smile and laugh.

While I loved my friends in Escalon, I can't even begin to tell you how many times my sister and I complained to our parents about living in a small, ugly farm town where there was nothing to do. My mother had grown up in Palos Verdes, a beautiful neighborhood overlooking the ocean in Southern California. My father was born in Israel and spent his childhood at the beach and running through the hills. We could never understand how both of them could go from such beauty to the cow-filled town of Escalon. It wasn't until I moved away for college that I began to appreciate the small town life.

Upon my return to town on school breaks, I found myself looking in every car I passed and waving to people I recognized. A trip to the market became a mini reunion and lunch at Pizza Plus was like eating at a friend's house. Conversations with friends' parents were amazing and laughing with high school friends made my stomach hurt. I began to realize how great it was to know people everywhere I went and how comforting it was to know that if you left the house without locking the door, your stuff would still be there when you returned.

My parents now live 1.5 hrs from Escalon, but each time I return to Northern California, I drive through Escalon, eat at Pizza Plus and I make sure to peer through the car window as I make my way down McHenry Ave. I appreciate it now. I can understand why my parents chose to raise children in the small town, away from the violence and corruption of the big city. I cherish my small-town upbringing and wouldn't mind nestling in to a different small town at some point down the road!

Cheers to small towns, amazing friendships, and true love!