Describe the town or city you where you were raised.

We were the “city kids.” With a population of 11,000, we were the biggest town within a two-hour drive. Big enough not to know everyone, small enough your mother always heard the gossip. lol It was peaceful, quiet, stable. You locked your doors, but you weren’t afraid. There wasn’t a lot of turnover in the schools; the teachers were usually lifers and important parts of the community. They added to the sense of stability, and you knew them on a personal level. There wasn’t a lot to do, so the movie theater was special, the bowling alley was a treat. Both always clean and well ordered. The teens cruised grand avenue from the South T to the Gateway North, parked at the old Hy-Vee or SMU to get out and chat. If you pooled your cash and found someone willing to buy you booze, you gathered in someone’s basement and hung out. You knew where to park out in the country if you wanted to canoodle. lol All in all, it was slow and laid back. Easy and simple. It wasn’t perfect, but I was pretty lucky.