I have already re-named this post several times, as a warning to those reading further, here are some of my other ideas:
-Things small town people need to shut up about
-We live in small town Canada, get over it
-If you don't want to live here, MOVE
-Things small town moms need to deal with or shut up about
I'm sure that I'll think of several more names for this before I'm done, but I think the one I chose is less cranky and slightly more polite...just slightly though.
Here's the thing, I live in a small town in Canada. We get snow. Yes, it is snowing today. But why does every person feel the need to complain about it??!!! Geez! I have seen snow in almost every month of the year, I barely remember a Halloween growing up where we didn't have snow, and all my costumes were made to fit over top of a snowsuit just in case. We went trick or treating in winter boots. So why now are "adults" whining that in the middle of October we have a little bit of snow in the air, for *cupcake sakes (please note I've used cupcake to avaoid swearing, but feel free to insert your own favorite in it's place) it's not even hitting the ground. Put on a coat and shut up!
On another note, if you don't like the snow, and don't want to drive on winter roads, stay the *huckleberry (yup, another replacement...) home and don't drive! I can't even count how many times moms around here have complained (politer version of a word starting with b...) that there aren't any mom groups out here, or playgroups, and I can list at least 4, as well as having tried to start one myself, but what do I see??? A mom politely asks for information on a FREE playgroup with FREE refreshments and is referred to another one that is in another town. Just so everyone knows that is why there aren't as many in this town as you want, it's because you don't go to them. If you want out town to bring in more stuff then use the resources that are already here. I spent months planning an educational moms group with a ton of free stuff and NOT ONE PERSON showed up. CANCELLED. This would have been a wonderful group, and here's the kicker, we were asked to bring it here, as well as other small towns in our area. Don't ask for it then not attend.
Oh and then there is the library arguement. Our library is wonderful, it runs extra programs for all members, has a great kids area and wonderful children's programs. However, if you live in the areas around our town, the cost of a membership is large. More then 5 times what you pay if you live in town. Here's the thing though, don't complain to ME, take it to town office, write a letter, have people in the are sign a request or something. I personally can't change it, and I would support efforts to attempt a change. I used to live in an even smaller town a little down the road, and when eveyrone wanted this changed, I contacted the town, who sent me to another group, to try and start a library. I had donations lined up of books, shelves, and a location we could have rented for almost nothing, and I offered to start it up and work it free for the first year, then pull just enough of a salary to keep me housed and fed. I received NO reply to 3 emails, and a few phone calls, and the worst part was the woman in charge of the program I was told to contact new me and called me friend. Well guess what, now you don't get to complain you don't have one and no one else will let you use theirs, I have an education and background in both management, start ups, and child care to run both the library AND children's programs. That was their chance and now they conplain to me about it.
Let's face it, when you move to a small town you take on either the driving to get everywhere or the responsibility to help your community grow. Either way, you knew the situation when you bought your house and moved in so either help or shut up.
So I leave my local FaceBook moms groups with the hope that when I return to check later for actual useful information this phase will have passed, and there on my timeline is a friend of mine who is freaking out about said "snow" because she has a driver's test schedualed for a week from now. Everyone is being very supportive and telling her it will melt and she'll be fine. Here's the insensitive part of me. I drive these roads too, with my child in the car. It is winter here from October until March, if you can't pass your test because there's snow, I don't want you driving the same roads I do! Suck it the *cookie up and practice. I'm honestly starting to think that they should only hold these tests in the winter and no one should be awarded a pretty new license because they can make a right hand turn on a dry sunny road. Force them to prove they can make the same right turn on black ice when the sun doesn't come up for another 40 minutes and you'll know if they can actually drive themselves to work here or not. It's not that I dont' think she can do it, I honestly believe most new drivers can, it's just that no one ever asks them too so they hit the streeets petrified of the snow and no one needs that. I have faith in most of them, we just need to get them calmed down and driving like a normal person and not causing accidents because they don't know what to do.
I think that's it...Those are my main shut up about it points today. I simply can't stand the ridiculousness of complaining about something you've caused yourself, or *barking (gotta love those word replacements today...) about the stinking weather when you know it happens every year, and so far we've been pretty darn lucky.
Thank you for taking the time to listen to my angry vent. Please feel free to comment with what annoys you about people in your small town, I promise not to tell them ;)