Big Dreams, Small Towns
Map dot. One horse town. Stop sign on a blacktop. The backbone of America. Small town, USA.
There seems to be a common misconception that big dreams can’t succeed in small town, rural America, and while that may have held true to some extent fifty years ago, it doesn’t hold up in today’s internet age. When I started Heart of the Midwest, I had a ton of people ask me where my storefront was going to be because where would I possibly have one in the entire county that would get the traffic it needed to survive? With internet and social media, I’m able to run a shop and share my farming story from my tiny corner of the universe.
Speaking of my tiny little corner of the universe…
Good ole Dana has been around since the 1870s and not much has changed since then. Just kidding…kind of. At around 400 people (I think?) it’s not exactly the burgeoning metropolis my grandma talks about in the memories of her teenage years, but it’s not too bad. The most famous person to come from the first town you hit when you enter the Hoosier state from the west is Ernie Pyle, the WWII correspondent. (Yes, we all know that was eighty years ago, but he’s all we’ve got so we’re hanging on. He was actually pretty cool though so I highly recommend reading his biography and/or visiting our museum to learn more!) And speaking of the famous writer, we also have the Ernie Pyle/Dana Fireman’s Festival every August, and lemme tell ya what, that’s the biggest social event of the year. I mean, I’m still hanging on to the fact that I was Miss Ernie Pyle Festival 2011….don’t believe me? See below.
Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of things I miss about living in a bigger city (like being less than an hour and a half away from the nearest Target), but you just can’t beat a small town. When someone is sick, the town rallies around them. When you’re walking down the road back to the pickup after moving a piece of equipment, someone stops to give you a ride. When everyone’s favorite farmer passes away, the whole town shows up at the funeral home.
As someone who has always hated stepping outside of her comfort zone, knowing that I had not only my friends’ and family’s support but that I had the whole town rooting for me gave me that little extra push I needed. Moving away for college, going overseas for a semester, taking a job in another state...I knew that even if I didn’t see them at the restaurant uptown every day at noon, they were still behind me. And I know that no matter where I end up, these small town folks will still be supportive just as they know that I’m there for them (or at least I hope they do!).
I know that my little hometown isn’t perfect; I’m not trying to paint it as a fairytale village. Even since I was a kid, plenty of businesses and people have left and plenty of trouble and drugs have moved in. The auction house crumbled, the grocery store and florist shop burnt, and the bank and tavern both closed. However, as much as all of those things could be considered pretty significant setbacks, they don’t take away from why I love this town. I truly believe it’s the people that make this town worthwhile not the things. Really, really good people who care about their neighbors.
So wherever you may be, whether it be a village or the big city, I hope you find your “small town” group of people because I’m a firm believer that big dreams grow best in small towns.
Save Your Marriage and Get Your Ex lover Back! Hakeem Ahmed has helped thousands of women get their Ex lover back" I’m Hillary Joan form Chicago, USA. After 15years of marriage, me and my husband have been into one quarrel or the other until he finally left me and moved to California to be with another woman. I felt my life was over and my kids thought they would never see their father again. i tried to be strong just for the kids but i could not control the pains that torments my heart, my heart was filled with sorrows and pains because i was really in love with my husband. Every day and night i think of him and always wish he could come back to me, I was really worried and i needed help, so i searched for help online and I came across a website that suggested that Hakeem Ahmed can help get ex back fast. So, I felt I should give him a try. I contacted him and he told me what to do and i did it then he did a powerful Love spell for me. 12hours later, my husband really called me and told me that he miss me and the kids so much, So Amazing!! So that was how he came back that same day,with lots of love and joy,and he apologized for his mistake,and for the pain he caused me and the kids. Then from that day,our Marriage was now stronger than how it was before, All thanks goes to Hakeem Ahmed. He is so trustworthy powerful and i decided to share my story on the internet that Hakeem Ahmed is real powerful working spell caster who i will always pray to live long to help his children in the time of trouble, if you are here and you need your ex lover back or save your marriage fast. Do not cry anymore, contact Hakeem Ahmed now. Here’s his contact,Email: hakeemahemd98@gmail.com or Call/WhatsApp him +27788392740 , website:http://astrologerastrology.com, your kindness will never be forgotten.
My name is Lisa Mande. I am from Florida,USA. I want to thank Prof Ibrahim for helping me to bring back my ex lover. I watched someone on YOUTUBE who testified about what he has done for her, bringing back her lost husband and helping her to win the America Lottery with his powerful spell. She gave out his email address and I contacted him instantly. He told me everything will be OKAY, and I am saying to everyone here that my heart desires is back to my life. Now we are getting married very soon. Thank you so much Prof Ibrahim, may God continue to empower you to help people like us. You can contact him through his email address ( profibrahim98@gmail.com) you can also call OR WhatsApp him on +27785149508 or visit his website @ http://www.africanancientspells.com. My co-worker who also watched the testimonies video was helped by Prof Ibrahim He helped him to win the American Powerball Jackpot worth $980,000.00usd. with his powerful spell he gave him the win numbers.May Ancestors continue to empower you more and more so you will never stop helping People to be happy again. Thanks PROF IBRAHIM.
I want to give thanks to a great man who has brought back my happiness to my life.ASTROLOGER HAKEEM AHAMED is really a great Man after my lover left me for 3years,i was so frustrated i almost killed myself until i got in contact with ASTROLOGER HAKEEM AHAMED who told me that my ex will be back to me within 48Hours.At first i thought ASTROLOGER HAKEEM was a scam until the second day when my lover called me on phone and started begging me that he was sorry that i should forgive him and he bought me a Gold ring and wrist watch i was so happy and really believed that ASTROLOGER ASTROLOGY HAKEEM is really a great powerful spell caster and not a scam like other fake spell casters who are online to add pain to your pain,Please people that need help i will love you people to contact ASTROLOGER HAKEEM because i can swear with my life that ASTROLOGER HAKEEM is a man to trust.You can contact him on his WhatsApp: +27788392740, or email him .hakeemahemd98@gmail.com/ hakeem@astrologerastrology.com ,website ,http://astrologerastrology.com
How I got my Husband back within 48 hours. I had read some stuff about Astrologer Hakeem Ahamed before i called him but i didn’t know that all those stuff were so accurate until i got my Husband back who left me for his mistress for 3months, After getting my Husband back i taught it also wise to share my testimony just as everyone on this website that Astrologer Hakeem Ahamed is so real and powerful when it comes to love spell that rebuild any relationship or marriage. Contact Astrologer Hakeem Ahamed via What-App/call him +27788392740,email ,hakeemahemd98@gmail.com/hakeem@astrologerastrology.com ,website,http://astrologerastrology.com
I URGENTLY NEED A REAL LOVE SPELL CASTER TO HELP ME BRING BACK MY EX LOVER AND RESTORE MY MARRIAGE +27788392740
Hello my name is Victoria from USA New York, I want to testify to the general public how my relationship was restored back by the great power’s of Hakeem after three months of loneliness, my Ex-lover called me after my contact with Hakeem that he want us to come back and start a good home, now we are happily together again as lovers. All thanks to Hakeem who did a love spell for me for my Ex lover to return home. I will keep sharing this until people who also need help see this for his wonderful help. You can contact him via email ,hakeemahemd98@gmail.com
http://astrologerastrology.com
CALL NUMBER ONLY: +27788392740