For the first three weekends of October every year, my tiny, humble town always holds a festival called “Fall Foliage.” Surprisingly enough, people travel from all over to come to my town, which falls at the start of the Poconos, to celebrate and look at the leaves. I’ve lived in Jim Thorpe my whole life and never really appreciated how great my town actually is, but coming home this fall break helped me to realize the small beauties Jim Thorpe holds.
In college, you have those classic ice breaker questions. “What year are you?” “What’s your major?” “Where are you from?” Whenever I answer the last question, I get one of two responses. “OMG, I’ve been there! It’s so cute and tiny and has great hiking,” or “Where?” Just this past week, my professor had us go around the room and introduce ourselves to each other (because she canceled two weeks worth of classes, so we never did introductions). When my time came to say where I was from, she gave me the funniest response:
“I read about Jim Thorpe once, but I didn’t think it was a real place.”
Even though it’s so small, there are many reasons I love living there.
I’ve been waitressing at a restaurant in downtown Jim Thorpe (aka Broadway) since May 2014. I come back to work there for the summers and for the Fall Foliage festival. Molly Maguire’s Pub and Steakhouse, or Molly’s which is what we locals shorten it to. Even though it sometimes gets stressful, I do really like working here because of the people. Sometimes a group of kids I knew from high school that I haven't seen in four years will casually walk in and it’s nice to catch up and see what they’ve been up to. But, my favorite customers are the locals that are usually there when I’m working. They all have the best stories to tell and make my shifts more exciting. Some of these characters are Cowboy Joe, Tanker Jim, Mike Sheehan, the late Dougie Rontz (RIP), and my even dad, Seanemac, who likes to visit me from time to time.
When I first started working at Molly’s I knew many, but not all of the locals that stopped by, but there was one line I would say where they would instantly know me. I used to always wear a necklace with a treble clef on it to work. Some of the locals would ask, “Oh, do you sing or play any instruments?” I would reply, “Yes! Do you know the band Becky and the Beasts?” Once I got confirmation that they did, I’d say, “They’re my parents.” Then they knew who I was. Having parents in a local band in a small town is really cool too. Some nights they play at Molly’s when I’m working, so, of course, I join in for a few songs and become the singing waitress, which is super fun.
The one big downfall of living in a small town is the drama. I haven't experienced much of it since graduating three years ago, but it would get pretty rough in high school. I was very involved with a variety of different organizations in high school, from cheerleading to glee club, so I knew a lot of people. This was a great thing most of the time, but it also became a negative at some points. Everyone knew your business no matter what. Somehow, people just found things out! It was especially bad when going through a breakup. It would be surprising if someone didn't know you broke up with someone after the first week. Sometimes, you would literally have to take a different route when walking to class to avoid seeing this person in the hallway. Sam Hunt came out with a song last year that perfectly described this called, “Break Up in a Small Town.”
“But there's only so many streets, so many lights I swear it's like I can't even leave my house. I should've known all along you gotta move or move on when you break up in a small town.”
This is my only complaint about living in a small town, though, otherwise, I truly love being here.
There are definitely highs and lows of growing up in a town with only two stoplights. We also only have two chain corporations in Jim Thorpe, Turkey Hill and Subway. Do I wish I didn’t have to drive fifteen minutes to McDonald’s or the movie theater or forty-five minutes to the closest mall? Yes, but I’d rather have beautiful waterfalls that I can hike a trail to see or the cutest main street with a zillion shops and unique restaurants or a place full of history. I like walking down the street and seeing familiar faces.
There’s a song by John Mellencamp called “Small Town” which is relatable if you grew up in a place that can’t be found on a map.
“No I cannot forget where it is that I come from, I cannot forget the people who love me. Yeah, I can be myself here in this small town and people let me be just what I want to be.”
If you ever get the chance, come visit my beautiful town of Jim Thorpe. It may be small, but it means so much to me and has more to offer than any big city.
