For twenty two years, I have called this place home. Upland, Indiana...a small town that might seem like Mayberry to some. In a sense, they are correct. I mean, it's very rare to walk into a place and not know anyone in there...at least by face. Kids start kindergarden and go throughout school with pretty much the same people...a few new faces here and there...a few leave...a few leave and come back...and then there are the few that dropout after their sophomore year and a few more who have kids and have no choice but to leave. When pain and sorrow hits, the community surrounds one another. And most people never leave...this is home and it always will be. It's a great town, why not raise a family here? Their family is here, their friends are here. There's no point to leave. It's home. This is Upland, this is my home.
Upland is great. I could not have asked for a better childhood or a better community. I had some rough times as a high school student and to be honest, without this community...I would have been nowhere. Sixth grade year, a boy in the high school died in a car crash. I remember riding the bus with him. I remember the day before seeing him. I remember mostly the community surrounding the family. The community surrounding the students. Freshman year - a friend of mine died in a car crash. The community came together. A girl's house burnt down sophomore year - the student body raised money to get her a gift card toward getting what she could replace. On a smaller scale, the way that students come together. Classes stick up for classes and love one another. It's a small community and people love each other. It's a beautiful community. This is Upland.
However, Upland is so much more than this.
Upland is not the happiest place on earth...obviously.
It has its rough spots.
People are broken.
People are hurting.
And this is why I have decided to write about my town.
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