Iowa

thinking about living and growing up in Iowa is a tough concept for me. I heard Tom Arnold mention to Jay Leno a number of years ago on the Tonight Show that when he travels, he drives through Iowa whenever possible because "you meet the nicest people in Iowa."

Here's an article describing some Iowa people returning to help rebuild their town after the tornado that wrecked it in May. I rubbed shoulders with Brad Meester at UNI before he went to play for the Jacksonville Jaguars. I'm not just name-dropping, but trying to put the "small world" concept into perspective. Mostly because I've said I'll never move back to Iowa...but I have to wonder what has evolved to make me decide that - for I definitely agree that people are most giving and helpful there, and I consider it a privilege to have grown up there. I appreciate what I was given and exposed to growing up in Iowa.

I think it is in part the big city vs. farm country. But have I traded entertainment for contentment? Have I traded "things to do" for enjoying simple time with people? Hard work that develops character versus self-fulfilling pleasures? Who knows...if you can't beat em, join em?