"Where else can you play Barbies under the craps table?" (Hastings: day care, amphitheatre)

[itsMeFred]

I've often thought many of the problems of this world would be resolved if people just "played" more often with their neighbors. Like old fashioned barn dances or block parties...
In my community, for example, we had a Smoker on Saturday night. The American Legion (or rather the Sons of the Legion as the Legionnaires are getting ancient) puts on a feed for the opening day of deer season every year.
Pork, beef, German potato salad, baked beans, turkey and everyone's favorite; lamb fries. With cocktail sauce.
Can't be beat!

We squeezed 250 people in our VFW building (more people than we have in town, btw! lol)
We eat until we're stuffed and then sit around and drink beer, play poker, throw dice, and mostly talk, laugh and enjoy the company of friends and neighbors until late.

Kids are everywhere.
Running around outside playing hide and seek in the dark, reading in little clusters back in the corner, racing through the tables until an adult (that might or might not actually be related) tells them to 'go back outside if they want to run!', gathered around ancient Eddie B. telling him stories, and as mentioned, playing Barbies under the craps table.

It's much like old barn dances were. (Though if you want to actually dance, you have to come to our Fireman's Ball in October. ) But we do this kind of thing throughout the year.
New Years, for example, is very similar to a Smoker but there'll also be board games scattered throughout the room and it'll last well into the wee hours of the morning.

Not to mention going to the bar on a regular basis for supper. Who knows who you might run into that you'll sit and chat with while eating your burger? Guaranteed you'll be glad you did, though.

I just feel so blessed to have a community that believes in fostering the community spirit. I had to share.

~Erin

[Dave1215]

My community is having an evening of hot chocolate, singers, sleigh rides, etc when the city christmas lights are turned on right after thanksgiving. A lot of families come out for that.

During the summer, every weekend there are at least 2 free concerts (one in the city park on Sun night and one in the large outdoor mall on Friday night - plus maybe a play that is free for the community (usually every few weeks something free in the outdoor amphitheatre) - again lots of families coming out for those...

Sense of community and neighbors knowing neighbors goes along ways! I agree it seems to be missing a lot these days.

[soundforlanguage81]

I lived in Dickinson, ND a couple of years ago and once a week during the summer months there would be tens sometimes hundreds of people gather at an ampitheater outside town. Tons of food, beer, lots of storytelling, music and open mic type stuff. It was definitely a unique experience, far from the nonexistent community involvement in most small towns where i'm originally from.

I'm moving back to western Nebraska in the following weeks and I hope there is still the same type of tight knit communities I remember. I hate to live somewhere and feel alienated, And more and more small towns are becoming that way.

No matter your background, all anyone needs are those close to you. Should that include ones community? Absolutely.

[SCGranny]

Y'know, we had the same kinda American Legion setup here this past Saturday; it wasn't a smoker but a steak dinner. We live in a town of ofishuly 177 people, but there were three times as many as that between 5 and 8 PM in the Community Hall! It was so crowded that we got there at 5:30 and ate, then went down to the bar (a block away) to sit and socialize, and give others a chance to eat. The best ting was that the $$ they get from this is used to send our HS kids to the Leadership Conferences and Law Conferences in the spring. Everyone is more than happy to participate in that. The kids are sooooo well behaved and polite here, it just amazes me. Brandi from the HS was helping her Mom serve the drinks, and her sister was helping clear away.

Down at the bar, the kids played pool, or went outside and played in the street, and the grownups sat inside and talked. Sometimes they play cards, and sometimes someone will put on the jukebox and folks will dance. I look forward to karaoke nights there come January. The kids are as much a part of the fun as the grownups - the FD had a smoker last month and the kids ran around outside and played too.

What gets to me here (enough to make my eyes tear up sometimes) is that there is no graffiti, no wanton destruction, no attitude of "What's mine is mine and what's yours is mine to destroy or take, too!" The kids are so respectful, and everyone has so much fun and never trods on anyone else's toes. Coming from a place where I actually have witnessed kids destroying public and private property while their parents watched and did nothing, this is like heaven to me! I work with kids at the local HS now, and they are all so respectful and full of self respect. Back east they have free day care centers in the high schools for all of the teens who have children so they can bring them to school! None of that here; these kids are happy and healthy and working and involved in so many activities.

I have always said that it doesn't take a village to raise a child, it takes responsible parents. But grouping responsible parents together, who can relax and have fun and still respect each others' boundaries, and raise their children to do the same, makes a whole community a pleasurable place to live.

Sometimes when I hear folks grouse about what they don't have here, I tell them they need to realize what they DO have - which is a good foundation for a family and a whole way of life. It's one of the reasons I am so opposed to development - because that will bring in the folks who don't want to know their neighbors, who insist that their children are angels who never do anything wrong (while they get pregnant, and join gangs, do drugs, and destroy each other just for fun), and those who think that the world and the community and the local government owe them a living. Maybe we don't have Wal Mart and Starbucks and all-night gorceries and fast food joints - but we also don't have the problems that come with that lifestyle, either. This is the one that is real, and this is the one that will last - and should last.

Although my son keeps saying, "Mom, just wait - sooner or later the Children of the Corn will appear!" I am just so happy and so proud to live here - I just wish I could have found it sooner, before my kids were grown. This is where real, vibrant, and honest life is. And I don't want anyone else to know about it and come here and screw it up! I'm kinda selfish that way.

My friends back east all feel sorry for me because of what I "gave up" to come here. Oh, yeah, unh-hunh, I miss it - NOT!!!!

[Sandhills Guru]

This topic has brought a big smile to my face remembering those functions that you are all describing that I haven't been too for a long time. Guess its time to go again. Because they are a lot of fun.

Just goes to show you just can't beat "The Good Life"

[tpabes]

Originally Posted by Dave1215

My community is having an evening of hot chocolate, singers, sleigh rides, etc when the city christmas lights are turned on right after thanksgiving. A lot of families come out for that.

.

Hastings is doing this on Thursday night! Thought is was kinda early, that it should be after Thanksgiving, but I'm not planning it. Anyway lights come on at 7:15 and they are having all kinds of things going on.

Dave, does that family it Papillion still do that amazing light display?

Great thread, sorry to take it a little off topic.

[Dave1215]

Originally Posted by tpabes

Dave, does that family it Papillion still do that amazing light display?

Great thread, sorry to take it a little off topic.

They do... so far neighbors are still going along with it and seem to support it... I can't imagine the amount of time that goes into it.

[IsThisOneTaken?]

Originally Posted by tpabes

Hastings is doing this on Thursday night! Thought is was kinda early, that it should be after Thanksgiving, but I'm not planning it. Anyway lights come on at 7:15 and they are having all kinds of things going on.

Dave, does that family it Papillion still do that amazing light display?

Great thread, sorry to take it a little off topic.

I always enjoyed the Celebration of Lights in downtown Hastings. The Dutton-Lainson building was always so nice.

Ogallala has a scaled-down version the Thursday after Thanksgiving. Parade and all!

This kind of stuff is awesome.

[SCGranny]

Ahem. (Clears throat and stands up perfectly straight)
Cody, NE was officially declared Nebraska's Christmas Village!
Heh heh heh. Why d'ya think I moved here?
They tell me things have kinda died off in the past few years, but I have been challenging folks to have a little friendly competition...
Heh heh heh. We'll see if we can re-inspire!

[itsMeFred]

Originally Posted by SCGranny

Ahem. (Clears throat and stands up perfectly straight)
Cody, NE was officially declared Nebraska's Christmas Village!

But Osmond has been the "Christmas Capital of Nebraska" for 25 years...