Small towns

I've always felt drawn towards living in a small town but couldn't explain why. Last week I spent a few days with my mom while my dad was away on a business trip. She lives in a small town that wants to stay a small town and so they reject the big businesses like Walmart that want to build there. I happened to be there for the first two days of a three day celebration based on the local produce. This is not just an average celebration, it's a big deal and people come from all over for it. I witnessed a few things that helped me better put into words the charm of a small town. For example: they were having a parade on Saturday and people were laying out their blankets and camp chairs along the road on Thursday. Laying them out and leaving them there for two days with the faith that no one would steal them or take their spot, etc... My aunt said they have been doing this for years and nothing has ever been stolen. Example #2 As I was driving home I passed a lot of big produce stands run by businesses and then I passed front yards where residents had put out a bushel of fruit with the price and a can for people to leave their money in. What trust. Being able to live in an environment where you know your neighbors, the children play together and people help each other out on a regular basis is just appealing to me.
Of course there are pros and cons to small towns verses bigger cities but these are some great pros!