Reason #482 Why I Like Small Towns

When a baby is born in a small town, it's a big event. With everything you read about shrinking rural America and the aging population and all of that, a baby is one breathless, wobbly step in the other direction. But, a baby is more than just a number in a formula calculating population growth. A baby is a part of the community, waiting to find his or her place - starting out in the arms of friends and family and neighbors, then growing up to fill in other roles, line leader, class clown, valedictorian, shortstop, farmer, teacher, neighbor, friend. And when it comes time to take another census, they will be part of a number in our favor, staving off decline for one more generation.