As I drove on the winding country roads, I started to notice just how beautiful south-eastern Ohio is. I've spent a majority of my time in the last two years in Athens, but I haven't taken the time to really explore the area. I had to drive to Warren Local Schools to do some observing in a classroom. The roads I took where all back roads. Up and down hills, around bends and curves that could kill you if you weren't paying attention. Even though the trees were bare (some still had leaves) and the grass was brown, the scenery around me was beautiful. The blue sky gave a nice contrast to the brown that was covering the ground.
I also noticed the houses and small villages that were scattered about. I wondered about the people who lived here. Do they like living in a small village, where the closest town in miles away? Do they like living on a farm? Do they enjoy living in a place where everyone knows their name? Do they like living in a town where there aren't any stop lights? the town I lived in was the biggest town in our county. It only took me two minutes to get to a gas station and five minute drive to school. I always thought my town was so small, but then I drive through these villages and see how small they are. I could never imagine living somewhere so small, where everyone would know everything about me.
When I drove back from OU with my parents after orientation in the summer, we took the back-roads up to Cleveland. I had the same thoughts as you. We passed hamlets were the main drag had literally no one on it and every building was falling apart; a true ghost town. Warning, generalized statements: Rural poverty has a terrible trapping feel to it. Urban poverty at least is in reasonable distance of the rest of society. Towns like the one I saw are the setting of ruminations on boredom.
ReplyDeleteThat last sentence is REALLY interesting. Why are you opposed to that, what do you have to hide? Is it better to be anonymous than familiar?
ReplyDelete"Even though the trees were bare (some still had leaves)" I think i would like the line better if if you wrote it like "Though many of the trees were bare..."
I think this is good, but it seems like you might have stumbled into the "real" subject on the last line. Most appreciate nature, but the fact that you would hate a small town could open a huge window into the writer.
Agreed. The thing about small towns is fine, but the thing about small towns being representative of people knowing everything about you is better. You want to tell us that you like your anonymity. Make this a part of the essay.
DeleteI really like this piece because I've made similar discoveries. I have a friend that has lived here for most of his 30+ years and during the summer after my freshman year he showed me Chauncey, Glouster, Trimble, Shade and all the other tiny tiny little towns, on the back of a motorcycle, that genuinely consist of 3 streets or less. It's beautiful and mind-blowing--I didn't know towns that small existed. Though the ones especially in SE Ohio are super impoverished so it does make one wonder if it's worth to pick beauty over a stronger economic location.
ReplyDeleteI really like this piece, I agree with Matt about that particular line regarding the trees. I like the rhetorical questions you ask toward the end. I think Matt may be onto something as well in regard to the last line--but I don't know if delving into it too much is a wonderful idea because I think the mystery in what you have to hide is alluring.
I love how your writing always has a sense of "wonder." You seem to take in everything around you and really allow it to soak in, and then think about it on a deeper level. The rhetorical questions (as Mary mentioned) are very effective and add to the sense of wondering your writing creates. Not only do they trace your thought process, but they also prompt readers to contemplate these questions and slow down and really consider them - which makes your essay more meaningful.
ReplyDeleteSince the town I'm from (Russia, OH) has a population of 638 according to the 2011 Census, I know exactly what it feels like to live in a place where everyone knows you. Though it has some perks, there really isn't any sense of privacy - and fearing judgement 24/7 was a problem for me. Diversity is nonexistent, and being quirky brands you as "weird" and "different."
I also agree that southeastern Ohio is very beautiful. It still somehow manages to be gorgeous even in the dead winter, and it doesn't look barren and empty like my town does.
Troy has always seemed like a very nice town to live in, and you have a Chipotle, you lucky duck! My hometown friends and I always drive there for Fazoli's gatherings.
I like the idea here, Kayla. I want to see your descriptions get a little more original. What are you specifically seeing in these towns? I want them to feel individual, and not like Anytown, U.S.A.
ReplyDeleteThe group is giving excellent feedback. I'd like to see you take another hour and explode this piece. Maybe include some comparisons to your own hometown.
And push back on Tristan's and Mary's comments about rural beauty. Did you find the places beautiful? And what about the noticeable poverty?
DW