Big cities are so fast paced — everyone is always in
a mad dash and everything in the cities is big.
Little things go unnoticed in the big cities but in small towns
and small cities like those that make up Huron County, little
things stand out and define the people who live here. Events
and actions that would be hard to find in a big city are common
in Huron County.
In
many big cities you could easily spend an entire day trying
to find a clean, neat neighborhood. The opposite is the
norm in our area. As you drive around Huron County, you just
can’t
find a bad neighborhood. Even a home that has not been
kept up is rare. A messy or distasteful lot is unusual.
While
driving around our county, you will find many more happy
people than in a big city. Maybe the fresh air makes
us all
happy. When you stop in a store, notice the people around
you — most
of them will be smiling. Many will say hello or give you a
friendly nod, even though you don’t know them.
It is not often you see a grumpy person, but if you do
they
will
stand out because there are so few of them.
Friendly
service people are one of the things small towns are known
for, especially in our area. People like Andrew,
the
pharmacist at Walgreens. He is always willing to answer
any questions and help you with any needs you may have — in
a friendly manner. My heating person, Larry, is a standout
when it comes to great service and helping out. He made two
trips on one weekend to get my furnace going, and it wasn’t
that cold yet. Thanks, Larry!!
Many
owners and their service people in our local restaurants
treat their customers as if they were guests in their
homes. Whether they know you or not, most of them
will greet you
with a big smile and a happy welcome. I guess all
men love a hardware
store, and I find our local ones have people eager
to assist with your problems. They all seem happy
with their
jobs.
Most of our grocery stores are not big chain affiliated,
and the
helpers who work in them seem very happy and are
smiling all the time. Maybe it’s being around all that
good food that does it. If you need help finding
something, they are
always more than willing to assist and will often
guide you right to what you need.
Another business that offers great, friendly service is the
insurance businesses around our county. They have people that
know how to work with customers to help them, and I believe
smiles are part of the dress code.
Another
great thing about our county is seeing youngsters playing
outside; riding their bikes
or tossing a
ball or just chasing
each other in a game of tag. You won’t
see that in the big cities; most kids there would
be
afraid
to be on
the streets.
You will see fighting outside of the big city
schools but that is not something that occurs
in our county.
It’s odd how our youngsters can’t wait to get to
a big city, but after settling there, they can’t wait
to come home. First just for frequent visits then when they
are able to, they move back to Huron County. It has been this
way for many generations, and I doubt it’ll
change any time soon.
One of the very best things about our Thumb communities is
our generosity. Every week or so, someone is being helped by
people or organizations who host benefits on their behalf.
Businesses often conduct activities that benefit those in need.
You just never hear of this in the big cities.
In
our towns, if a friend or neighbor is having a tough time,
word gets around quickly
and
everyone pitches
in to help
them out. The benefits are always successful
because it seems like
we all know one another and we like to
share. Maybe that is why we are all so happy — or
perhaps it really is the fresh air.
As
I see it, after you read this article you should put it in
the shredder or give
it to
your dog to
tear up.
We really
don’t want those people from the
big cities finding out how great we have
it in
our county.