"It's where I learned about living and where I learned about love...where I learned about working hard & having a little was just enough...down in the boondocks" -- Little Big Town
A large part of my youth, from the time I was 9 on, was spent down at my grandma's farm in Floyd County, VA. we call it "The Farm" but there's no livestock or crops. Anyways, if you've never been to Floyd County, it definitely qualifies as "the boondocks".
Picture this, here we are, my brother and me, moved down to Floyd County - population 11,234 - from Fairfax County which is probably the most densely populated county in Virginia. The closest grocery store to my grandma's house was 20 miles away! To my little brother's dismay, the closest McDonalds was 30 miles away! Needless to say, we were strangers in a strange land.
We moved to the farm because my parents were having marital problems, so my mom was essentially a single mom when we moved down there. Money was tight...really tight. My mom got a job in the local sewing factory, because that's pretty much the only place to work down there.
I had two pair of jeans to wear to school, so my grandma taught me the concept of "school clothes" and "play clothes". Even today when I get home from work I take off my good clothes and put on my t-shirt and sweatpants.
I had one pair of shoes for school. We bought them at the Family Dollar (located next to the closest grocery store) and they were pink and gray with a slight heel on the sole. Now being that I was 9 years old, I grew out of those shoes pretty fast, but I wore them for the longest time, months, because we didn't have the money to buy me a new pair.
Even though money was tight, I look back at that time in my life as the happiest times of my childhood. I felt at peace and at home. As a family we spent a lot of time together. My mom's brothers would come over. I spent a lot of time with my cousins. We would hop in the car and go visit my grandma's sisters in West Virginia. We went to a small country church that had 30 people on a good Sunday. We all shared one TV and one bathroom and a lot of laughter and love.
The things that I went through then have made me a better person today. I know I can survive with one pair of shoes and two pairs of jeans. The things most of us think we HAVE to have are really just nice extras that we have in our lives.
What we really need is an authentic soul. Know where you came from. Own your story. It is ok and it's part of your journey. My favorite Bible verse is Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you..."
Your story, however winding and shadowy, is part of the plan. Own it, look for the lessons, and give us the best YOU! Because there is only one of you out there!!
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