Where Am I?

See those mountains? That's Canada. This is the view from my front yard; I could walk to Canada if I wanted to. But I digress...

I live a small town in Northern Maine. Very small. Let's just call it Littletown. Littletown is very little. There are no stores, no gas stations, no stop signs, and no traffic lights. Driving at the speed limit, 55 mph, one can drive through Littletown in a matter of minutes. Made up of mostly forest and greenery, my place of residence is microscopic. 

When I first arrived here, I was at a loss for words. "These people can't be serious", I thought. Well, they were. The closet town, Biggertown, is about a 10 minute drive away from Littletown. There isn't a Starbucks. There isn't a mall. For God's sake there isn't even a Target! Although Biggertown lacks much of what I am used to, it does offer a unique variety of shopping venues. There are two grocery stores, one pharmacy, three gas stations, KFC, McDonald's, Burger King, a movie theater (two screens) and...wait for it...Wal-mart. 

Now, Wal-Mart is a busy place. Probably busier than any other Wally World you've ever been to. It is the "place to be", or "bees knees" if you prefer. For the locals, Wal-Mart is the place to socailize. Droves of Littletowners and Biggertowners flock there to catch up with friends, relatives, and acquaintances. They stand in the aisles, conversing about their weekend "out to camp", or their recent problems with diabetes. Flannel patterns intermingle until your vision is obscured by plaid upon plaid upon plaid. 

Not only does Wal-Mart offer foodstuffs, generic clothing, and socialization, it is also where the yung'uns strut their stuff. In Biggertown, Wal-Mart is to the teenagers what The Mall was to me when I was in high school. "Put your best outfit on and do up your face! We're going to Wal-Mart!" The teenagers are easy to pick out: Hollister jeans (flares are out, duh!) and Abercrombie & Fitch sweaters (American Eagle is acceptable, too). There are the occasional interesting and divergent fashion choices, but this is rare. It is more difficult to be different here in such a small and rural area. It appears that it is easier to conform; for teenagers, at least.

 Man, I'm glad I'm not a teenage girl anymore. 



Thanks for reading, and stayed tuned for the next episode of "From Away: An Outsider in Northern Maine".