SMALL TOWN

As all my friends and family know, I use every opportunity to "interview" people! While waiting to be served at my cell phone center yesterday, a woman walked in wearing a sweatshirt with "Small Town Tractor and Truck Repair" on the back. I said, "That's a business I've never heard of; where is it located?" She answered, "Across from Halliday Lumber." I asked, "Do you work there?" She said, "I own it." I was immediately impressed that this young woman was in a non-traditional role for women in business. We had a lengthy discussion and I shared with her that I was retired from International Truck and Engine Corporation.

After awhile, I said, "Tell me, Megan, did you name your company after John Mellencamp's song Small Town?" She giggled and said, "Yes, I love that song."

I told her about John (he was John Cougar Mellencamp at the time) appearing in Chillicothe because there was a petition circulated to ask him to come to the small town of Chillicothe, Ohio. It was estimated that 1/5 of the population of Ross County signed the petition. Mellencamp appeared in two FREE concerts there at Shoemaker Center at the Ohio University campus.


SMALL TOWN

Well, I was born in a small town,
And I live in a small town,
Prob'ly die die in a small town,
Oh, those small communities.

All my friends are so small town,
My parents live in the same small town,
My job is so small town,
Provides little opportunity, hey!

Educated in a small town,
Taught to fear Jesus in a small town,
Used to daydream in that small town,
Another born romantic, me.

But I've seen it all in a small town,
Had myself a ball in a small town,
Married an LA Doll and brought her to this small town,
Now she's small town, just like me.

No, I cannot forget where it is I come from,
I cannot forget the people who love me,
Yeah, I can be myself in this small town,
And people let me be just what I want to be.

Got nothing against a big town,
Still hayseed enough to say,
"Look who's in the big town",
Oh, that's good enough for me.

Well, I was born in a small town,
And I can breathe in a small town,
Gonna die in a small town,
Ah, that's prob'ly where they'll bury me.