What Is Home
It's hometown pride,
It's Smoky Mountain Conference battles just because,
It's the loss of a teammate and those same rivals being the first to show their support,
It's coaches making impacts that last a lifetime,
It's pulling over for a funeral procession out of respect for those lost,
It's everyone in town knowing you, but you may have never met,
It's your child's teacher knowing you by name,
It's your child being a name, not just a number,
It's knowing every child on your kids' team, their parents, and often their grandparents,
It's people helping people,
It's a drive down a back road to clear your mind,
It's mountains that feel like they alone can give you strength,
It's a day on the lake that can put everything into perspective,
It’s secret fishing and swimming holes that only a few know,
It's sayings and slang passed down from generation to generation that only locals understand,
It’s directions given based on landmarks,
It's a grocery store that has more inventory than most big cities,
It's buying local and knowing you are supporting a neighbor,
It's seeing that exact same business name on the back of a kids jersey,
It's people pushing you out of town to chase your dreams, and those same people welcoming you back when your dreams finally bring you home…
It's where I was born and raised, and it's the place I always knew I would return to,
It's my heart, and it's so good to finally be home….
We once formed communities because we knew we needed each other. Then, technology came along, and with the click of a button, we tried to replace those connections with convenience. The pandemic showed us that because we can literally have everything delivered to our doorstep, we still need each other and need to be connected to our communities.
We need those people who “get” us and those who can give us a firm shoulder to lean on when life is swirling around us. Our children need these communities to help them thrive and know they have a support system behind them. Small town, big city, or whatever community you claim as your own, we need each other, and our community needs us.