Small Town Dreamin'

I know nothing about small town living. It’s too easy to blend in with the masses when you live in California. And I don’t know if I’m just a product of my environment or generally a very private person, but I fit the stereotype and prefer to keep to myself. Just imagining all of my neighbors knowing details about my life that I’ve never personally shared with them irks me. And yet, a simple life in a small rural community sounds incredible…at least on paper. And in Lifetime movies. 

There’s a fiction book titled, “Home Is Where Your Boots Are” by Kalan Chapman Lloyd that’s all about a girl (Lilly) who leaves her small southern town, Brooks, Oklahoma behind, embarks on new life as a big shot attorney in Dallas, TX, only to return after having her heartbroken (cheating fiancé alert). Again, I know nothing about small town living other than what I’ve read/watched, but I just don’t understand why some people are so adamant about breaking out of their hometowns when the place is so dang hospitable. 

Sure, everyone knowing everything about me might get annoying because people don’t let you forget who they think you are, but Lilly came back to a whole community of support filled with people that loved her, people that helped her, and people who knew who she really was. The book made me feel like I’m missing out on a special sort of social connection with people that you can only get when you’re born and raised in a small community. There’s the local church, the local diner, local gossip, southern living and southern charm. 

For example, I visit the same Starbucks every morning and each day I’m treated like a stranger who’s never been there before. That would never happen in Brooks, Oklahoma! I guess what I’m saying is, I just want a taste of this type of simpler way of living, even if it’s only through fiction. Though I should mention that though its fiction, parts of it (I don’t know which) are based on the author’s real life hometown experiences. This is only the first book of Lloyd’s series on Lilly, and I’m hoping the others are also semi-autobiographical because I need this picturesque life to be real. I want to believe that the town of Brooks really exists. 

I’m also hoping that the reason the second book is titled, “These Boots Are Made For Butt-Kickin’” is because Lilly is going to kick a non-local’s butt in the courtroom. Lol, I work at a lawfirm, what can I say?