Confession of a Country Girl: Entering the world Creatively!

My Confession:
  I wasn't born in the country; however, I have to tell you I am a country girl.  I cannot imagine myself living anywhere but a rural area. Preferably in Virginia. I have lived in every area of Virginia. Today almost all the regions where I previously lived are teaming with development and traffic.

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I love wild life, I love the people and I have to say, I love the animals. I love the green grass and trees. I love the solitude. Where I live now is a small town of about 350 people.  Everyone knows everything about every one. During snow storms such as we had last night it wouldn't be unusual for a neighbor to show up with a shovel and  just start to clear a path.  No ulterior motives. no expecting any money. Just a "thank-you" and a " glad we could help out".

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I wish that everyone had such neighbors. But I have to tell you having those neighbors means you need to be as you wish those neighbors would be.  It is not always an easy thing to do. Sometimes we move some where and we wonder why our neighbors are not friendly or  why they do not invite us to dinner to welcome us. I mean that is what people do right?  

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Well, this is where empathy and tolerance come in.  When I moved in to my neighborhood it was more people over the age of 50 than anything.  At the time one neighbor was on her third chemo for cancer, one man suffered from chemical toxicity from being in Viet Nam.  One traveled a lot  to visit grand kids. Another had to work 2 jobs because his  wife had a stroke and rehab was long and drawn out as well as expensive. 

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Not likely you were going to get to meet those neighbors unless you had an open house ( I'm too private for that anyway) or  a yard sale!  Yes, that is exactly what I did to meet my neighbors.. I had a yard sale right in my front yard.

Everyone from two blocks in every direction came to see.  I sold a lot of blue jeans and a few odds and ends .  Didn't make much money but it was still a good day.  I haven't had a yard sale since.  I really haven't had the motivation.  But I remember how fun it was. And that my friends at the time came to see me and one even brought me  my favorite French toast for breakfast. 

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Sometimes you just have to reach out to folks with out expecting anything in return.   For my neighbor hood that was the right thing to do. I invited them in with no pressure and no expectations. First Steps are always important. If you do  not enter into the world you really don't have a way to experience it or people.  Be creative and Thrive! 

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