My Little Town

Several weeks ago, I received an out-of-the-blue text from my brother-in-law, Jeff. It was early in the morning (he lives in North Carolina, so his time was an hour ahead of Wisconsin time). In his text he referenced a song, “Our Town” (James Taylor – 2006), which I knew and remembered. His comments sparked my thinking, so I pulled the song up on You Tube. I realized immediately that I had confused this song with the song “Our Little Town” (Simon & Garfunkel – 1975) which I also pulled up on You Tube. I then chose to search for the lyrics to each of these works. I like both and listening to them and reading the words sent me to nostalgia city. At this point in your reading, I suggest that you might want to pull these songs up yourself and listen to them. I am quite sure that most of my readers will remember them.

As younger person, I liked these songs because they are easy to listen to. Although I knew the words, I really had not reflected on them to any extent. Now, as an aging baby boomer, I find the words speaking to me a great deal.

My first thought took me toward feeling that the words of both were remarkably negative. But, as I reflected, I felt they presented more sadness than negativity as they compared today to the way things used to be – a position many of take as we compare today to the past. One of these songs is 51 years old and the other is 20 years old. Couple this with the fact that the writers were looking back further than that.

A couple of lines illustrate this point. From “My Little Town” – ‘Nothing but the dead and dying back in my little town.’ And from “Our Town” – ‘Main Street isn’t Main Street anymore. Lights don’t shine as brightly as they shone before. Tell the truth, lights don’t shine at all in our town.’

This is not Milton!

Yes, we have all the great memories and sometimes we bemoan changes that time brings. BUT – Milton is vibrant. Milton is growing. New businesses are opening. It has become a destination for shoppers and visitors, and history seekers. The businesses that are here provide phenomenal service! Why shop elsewhere? Businesses support each other and collaborate. People are friendly. There are gathering places. Our school district is top shelf with many open enrollers from other communities. Neighbors watch out for and take care of each other. Dedicated citizens serve in key positions and on community boards and committees. People are moving to Milton as it is a sought-after place to live. Volunteerism is alive and well. We relish in our community activities like the Christmas Parade & Tree Lighting, outstanding Independence Day activities, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day recognition. We have a vibrant faith community. We celebrate our history with features such as the Milton College Historic Campus, the Milton House with its Underground Railroad connection, and many others. We are an Ice Age Trail community and luxuriate in one of the best community libraries to be found anywhere bar none. We also enjoy immediate access to The Glacial River Trail, which is excellent for biking, hiking, rollerblading, etc.

I moved here in 1966 when I was sixteen. I really did not want to move to Milton at that time, but I had no say in the matter. What I didn’t know at the time was that moving to Milton was one of the best things to ever happen to me. Now, 60 years into my residency, I absolutely love this amazing small city which I fondly and warmly call home.

#cruzan4milton#WAM