-
Bekah Mead
I have observed something over the years. Aurora is a great place to raise a family. People move to town, start a family, raise the family, kids graduate then move away, only coming back when they, themselves are ready to raise their new family; and the cycle repeats. We incubate, usher out, and welcome home. It all sounds pretty great, right?
To a certain extent, yes, yes it is. It is always nice to have the ones we love, come and settle back in the place we call home. But, who comes home? Not for holidays or random family events, but who really comes home? The answer: established families.
I was always one to say that rural Nebraska was my forever home. Loving and indulging myself in the simple pleasures of life that can only be found in rural areas. Sunsets that are unbelievable and starry skies that take your breathe away. Both leave you mesmerized in ways that capture your soul and remind you that life has a greater purpose.
I have ventured away. Away for school. Away for work. Away to another country just to explore. Away I went, but I ventured back. Every time I came back one question has lingered in my mind. Is there a place for me in this small town? Everyone my age has moved away. The few that have moved back are already a marriage and two kids deep into an entirely different world than I live in. I have my family; my mom and dad, grandma, and siblings: Otherwise isolated.
The isolated feelings always get me thinking. Maybe it’s not just me. Maybe my small town is just not set up for young, single adults. Not enough year-round activities. Not enough social outings; when singles struggle to find events to socialize, the temptation to leave or disconnect with the local community increases.
So how do small-town communities keep their charm, but also market themselves to a younger, less financially established demographic? The stigma needs to be challenged and changed. Although staying in your hometown is often viewed as a negative thing, it is not! Choosing to stay in your hometown doesn’t mean you are settling for something sub par.
Small towns have much to offer young singles. The local community needs to do a better job at creating a welcoming environment and promoting these attractive features. Businesses need to be willing to hire young adults with less experience. One of the barriers to young, single adults staying in small towns in the lack of opportunity for profitable jobs/careers that allow them to use their skills and pay the bills. If you don’t have X number of years of experience, you are not eligible for a suitable job, even in your hometown. Businesses seem to want more than just a willing capable individual; they want experience and with that rule out even the best and brightest young adults longing to stay local.
Another hindering factor is housing. It is expensive. Life is expensive. EVERYTHING is expensive. It is a very humbling experience being a college graduate and moving back in with your family due to a lack of finances. Very few people actually want to move back in under their parents’ roofs after they have had the taste of freedom on their lips for many years prior. But, what is one to do when bills need to be paid and the dwindling dollars in their savings account are not penciling out. Although smalltowns do offer more affordable housing in comparison to large cities, for an individual, up to 75% of the average monthly paycheck can go out the window the second bills are due. Young, single adults will leave an area if there are not the resources or incentives necessary to stay: The most important of which is affordable housing.
There is much to gain when you equip young individuals for success. Who better to share in the joys of their success than the very community that helped shape them? When given the right tools, young singles are more than willing and eager to take an active role and become leaders in their hometown. Before that is possible, they need YOU to step up and give them a reason to stay.
BEKAH MEAD can be reached at newspaper@hamilton.net
