Rural America's bizarre realities: From a bus driver doubling as Mayor to a teacher delivering babies
'Oh ya? My grade 12 English teacher delivered my first son,' a user wrote.
Living life in a small town has a certain kind of appeal. Everyone knows everyone, and there is a strong sense of community and belonging. Social gatherings can feel like a family get-together and so much more. City dwellers may find it really hard to imagine that people from small towns know their neighbors by name. Sometimes, one individual may wear many hats because there are not many people who can take on such a role.
On March 16, Toni Lauren (@toniiiilauren), a comedian and writer, shared one instance on Instagram Threads. She wrote, "You think you’re from a small town? My school bus driver was also the mayor." You can find the post here.
Several other people joined the bandwagon and commented something quirky or funny about their hometown. @pearlblackpinup commented, "Oh ya? My grade 12 English teacher delivered my first son," proving once again that professional roles can overlap. @darkwulfe24 shared, "Marceline, MO — same situation until about 3 years ago. The guy was the mayor, fire chief, and school bus driver."
Impossible School Stories
Going to school in a small town can sometimes mean zero competition. @coppertopmpls said, "Small town, you say? I was one of two in my graduating class, also the only reason I was valedictorian." Lauren also chimed in, "Guys, there was one year where a kid graduated BY HIMSELF." @lizardjoss shared, "My godfather was on his school basketball team (Indiana), and at halftime, the players went to the locker room to change into band uniforms and play the halftime show."
@zephyrlestrange shared a crazy story, "I spent some time in a town that no longer exists — if you Google it, it’s just flat red dirt now the mine is closed. There were four children in the town; my sister and I were two of them. We went to school via radio and had a real teacher fly in once every six months for a day or two. Just rural Australia things!"
Finding Love Is... Complicated
Dating in a small town is a whole different ball game. @applebitten315 revealed one of the biggest problems of dating while living in a small town. They wrote, "Can’t date locally because too many people are family." @jujumillen shared a hilarious instance, writing, "My uncle Jim has 6 girlfriends in his nursing home, so I refer to him as The Mayor."
@l.u.c.y.s.k.y shared, "I told my dad I had a crush on a boy (my first) he said, 'You can’t date him because you are related to him.' (I didn’t know this prior. It was such a small town; I was related to almost everybody.)"
Caught Speeding? Officers May Call Your Mum
The law and the political scene in a small town work on their own terms. @neilrubenstein shared an unusual slice of his small-town life. He wrote, "Our political lawn signs just read 'vote for John.' 'For Government.' The whole thing. He won, too. His smear campaign was, 'You guys remember what Matt did at the office Xmas party.' Our fire department was just a Klydesdale."
@jxmilyn shared how people were instructed to react in case of an emergency: "We get quarterly reminders from town hall to NOT call 911 in an emergency because it will take too long. Instead, call the volunteer fire/police/EMT guy’s personal cell phone. We also have a designated spot to bring stray cows."
@fancypantsuit wrote, "When the chief of police saw me speeding on my way home from work at 11 pm on a county highway in the pitch dark, with no streetlights, he didn’t pull me over. He called my mom. I walked in the front door, and she was waiting to have a talk with me about driving too fast."
Small towns or rural America "remains underresearched," according to a report from McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility. The American countryside houses one in seven Americans, which was approximately 46 million people in 2023. Because small towns focus on agriculture, they contribute more than 20% of the GDP, contrary to the popular idea that urban life is the only option for development. The report also revealed that "in these midsize, growing communities, more than 30 percent of GDP comes from manufacturing."
People who were not from a rural area found the comments amusing and, in some cases, unbelievable. @anaismoniq humorously added, "Damn. Sounds like there’s more folks in this comment section than it is in y'all's towns!" @_msmaya_ chimed in, "Big city girl here, and I have no idea wtf y'all are talking about in this thread, but it’s very entertaining."
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