Oran - A land of love

Mmmm, the small town life. Is there anything greater? Everyone knows you, your life's history, medical problems, and the kind of soap you use. If you're from some giant city such as Cape or Sikeston, I'm afraid you won't understand the joys of small towns. Sure, you may have visited one, but living the life is a completely different kind of joy in itself.

OK, maybe we don't have Club Sequel or Regina's House of Dolls, or any other kind of cool little hot spot, but we do have the funeral home. Yes, the funeral home. Being right on the cruise route, it's a place where teenagers like to go and talk about other peoples' lives with no truth to it at all.

The school and bank parking lot are other cool places to go during the weekend to talk about parties that somehow never happen and relationships of other people although it's none of our business.

Did you hear that I died? Yes, apparently I died two years ago in a car wreck, according to people who spread the word that I was in the accident. I guess my condition gradually grew better as it went from person to person. In the end, my car was totaled and I was sore. That was the extent of my terrible injury.

That brings me to another great factor of small towns. If a girl and guy are seen within three feet of each other, they're going out.

If a girl and guy are seen talking at a party, by the next day they've apparently had sex. I guess people from small towns tend to exaggerate things to make life more exciting.

When I first began my venture into a whole new world called "the cruise route," I thought I'd hit the jackpot in socialization.

"Hey, what's goin' on this weekend, guys?!" I'd say in my anxious voice.

"Well there's supposed to be a party at Drew's house tomorrow night," the oh-so-cool senior would say to me.

I'd dress up a bit and make my way into town to catch a ride to Drew's, only to find that some unplanned event happened so he couldn't have the party.

After the same thing happened 9 or 10 times in the past couple of years, I learned there's no need to get ready for a party.

These days I tend to go to Cape with a small gathering and we find something to do up there. The idea of a "cool club" in the Southeast Missouri area baffles me and if I think about it long enough I let out a slight laugh. If I want to dance like a complete idiot, I just do it in my car on the way to work. I've been doing that ever since I've had my license.

Of course, that may have been one of the factors leading up to my death two years ago.

Sam DeReign is a senior at Oran High School.