"Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name" (Cheers theme song). As I walk through the halls of Hopedale Jr./Sr. High School, it is rare that I see a face I do not recognize. I know almost half the students personally and the names of some hundred others. Nearly all the teachers know who I am, even if I have never talked to them before. Driving down Hopedale Street, I can identify the driver of every fifth car that passes me. The fact of the matter is that Hopedale is tiny, just a little dot on a map, if it is mentioned at all. Some people find the small town life annoying and confining. But I prefer to think of it as quaint.
Due to its size, Hopedale has the potential to be reminiscent of the picture-perfect towns of the 1950s' television shows, where everyone kept an eye out for the neighborhood children and greeted each other walking down the street. The intimate setting that is possible only in a small town can be used to our advantage. Through activities like Day in the Park, we can nurture a sense of community that can permeate many aspects of our life. The familiarity we have with each other will make everyone more friendly, and the community activities our town performs will instill pride in Hopedale. In turn, everyone will be a little happier.
As a senior in high school who has lived in Hopedale my entire life, I am now feeling the need to experience the cosmopolitan life. It is time for me to go to college, to learn new and exciting things, and to meet many new people. However, I will not forget the quaint town in which I grew up. I find comfort in knowing that at any time, I can return home to a place where everyone will know my name.
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