life in a small town
By: Jordan
What is it like to live in a small town? It's everything.
Bill’s Belmont Drive-Inn. Coming here on a Saturday night was something that every kid in Belmont hoped to do. We would all pile in a car with our families and meet our friends and their families here for a fun night out and a movie. My favorite night here was when the Scooby-Doo Movie came out. My brothers and cousins all went and laid in the back of my mom’s escalade with blankets and snacks.
Dairy Queen. This was a Saturday adventure for my family. The five of us would spend the day either working in the yard or around the house and the reward for all our hard work was a lunch trip to the local Dairy Queen. We would pick a booth and sit down or pick it up and go home to eat it in the yard, whichever way we chose to eat our lunch, we were always together.
Belmont Middle School. Going to this school was scary for me, 6th grade was the first time since 3rd grade that I would be going to public school. My mom took time off to homeschool my brothers and I. However, my grandad died, and I had to go back to school because she was unable to continue to teach us. 6th grade marked a new era for me, I had to make new friends and be the new kid in this huge middle school. Luckily, I knew I had my older brother there to look out for me.
Main Street, Belmont. During the summer on Friday nights, this street was packed. Friday Night Live was a concert and event that everybody in town would go to. Downtown was close enough to my house for me to walk down there. I would run around and play with my brothers and our friends. The music filled the street along with laughter and conversations everywhere.
Belmont Drug Store. Better known to the locals as the Soda Shoppe. This store front was changing owners and names yearly, but it was always some form of Soda Shoppe and that is how the locals knew it. After school walking here was always a good way to spend time, grab a root beer float or just a cold bottled soda.
Davis Park. Hours of my life were spent at this ballpark. My brothers played here, baseball season to football season. This is where we came to watch them practice and play 6 nights a week. Football season we would bring our lawn chairs and sit in the baseball field to watch the boys play.
South Point High School. I found some great friends at this school and also found some inspiring mentors. I found what I loved at this school, I discovered my love for photos and writing, but more importantly I found the person who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. I met him my freshman year and have been together since the beginning of my sophomore year. This school will always have a special place in my heart for that reason alone.
Lineberger Stadium. I spent eight years, every Friday night watching my brothers play and my dad coach them. This stadium felt like home. Some nights I was in the stands, others I was on the sidelines. Every week was a rollercoaster of emotions. I will never forget the last game that my younger brother played, it was a heartbreaking night, there was not a dry eye to be seen. Never in my life have I seen so many people gather together and cry during their last game of the season.
Lake Wylie. My family moved to the lake my senior year of high school. Since then we have spent many weekends playing in the water and being together on the water. I learned to wake board, surf, and water ski with my family. To me, this lake means being with my family and spending time with the ones you love.
Peace-N-Hominy. This BBQ shack is where we ate every Sunday after church during football season. My older brother swore it brought the Carolina Panthers good luck. We all knew it didn’t, but it was fun, and we liked to laugh about it. This shack was our go to when someone asked where we wanted to eat. We would eat here with all of our friends; we were very sad to see it close after the owner was diagnosed with breast cancer.
The Old Mill. This place has been standing long before I was born. I have drove by countless times and every time we would pass by it; my youngest brother would always state how he would love to someday buy that building and turn it into a hotel or apartment building. I will always think of my brother and his dream when I pass by this building, even though it is now being turned into something else.
The Jailhouse. When I was a kid this was just an empty building that sat behind the nice restaurant in town. Today it is a bar and smokehouse, one that I really enjoy going to. The owner has become a very good friend of my mom and dad’s. We have held many events here and spent late hours here with family.
Family. This is my family, the people that mean the most to me in this world. The reason this town means so much to me is because of the people that live here with me. These are the people that made my memories. Every part of this town makes me think of at least one of these people. Life in a small town doesn’t mean anything without people to share it with.