Column: Looking Beyond the Headlines

If you were to hear someone talk about your hometown, what would they say about it? Would they talk about the attractions around town? Or maybe the food and nightlife that fuels the place?

Whether or not you thought of something like this, your mind most likely filled with all of the positive things about where you grew up. It makes sense, as it holds some of your most cherished memories in your life. That is how I have always felt about my hometown, Charleston, Mo., but recently, I have realized not everyone feels the same way about it.

When I think of my town, I think about the many wonderful aspects it has to offer. Whether it be the kind and giving people who have stepped in to help my family on numerous occasions, or the giant Dogwood Azalea Festival we have each year, these things always make me smile while reminiscing.

When I hear others mention my town, though, none of these things come out of their mouths. Instead, all I hear are things people assume or read in the news. Most people start off by saying we are a dangerous community with a school they would never send their kids to. Others say we have a problem with the youth, that we do not know how to act. I cannot recall how many times I have traveled for a sports event and the second we walk in, we get side-eyed stares because people already make assumptions about who we are. What people do not realize is that deep down, we are a community full of potential and great people who do great things.

My school that many parents would “never send their kids to” is full of many young people who want to do big things in life. We have state-ranked athletes, students who are academically-inclined and people who are leaders of tomorrow. When people hear about kids from Charleston, though, they just think of small-town nobodies. I am here to say we are not nobodies; rather, we are somebodies who are willing to do whatever it takes to make it out in the world.

My community that people say is “dangerous” is a town full of loving people who will do anything at the drop of a hat for their loved ones. I cannot count how many times people in my town have come to grieve with me when I’ve lost someone or lent a helping hand when my family is struggling. I know every community has their downfalls, but to me, looking at only the negative does nothing more than allow self-doubt to creep in and destroy a community from the inside out.

Deep down, I know my community is not perfect. There are times when horrible things happen and tragedy strikes. It’s at times like that, though, that it is important to locate the good parts of where you are from, as that is what holds a community together.

My hometown may be no better than anyone else’s, but to me, it will always be home, and there is nothing that would ever make me regret defending it with all of my heart. Sometimes, you have to look past all of the headlines and gossip of a place to truly see the heart within. And if you are lucky, maybe you’ll see it’s not so bad, after all.

Lilly Johnson is a senior at Charleston High School in Charleston, Mo. She has lived in Southeast Missouri most of her life and loves to travel with her youth group, jam to musicals and BTS, and paint during the late hours of the night.