#cotlg

How does one answer the infamous question, what do you do in Muncie for fun? Well, I'll get to to that soon, but first let's start from the top. 

I feel some type of way when people say phrases like these: 

"Get out of here"

"There's nothing here"

"You're so much larger than here"

"You'd be better off somewhere else"

"They have MORE to offer"

"There's NOTHING here"

"Don't come back"

I didn't accidentally say 'there's nothing here' twice because that one really gets to me. It's such a definitive statement. To tell someone that there is NOTHING, I MEAN ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in the place they've grown up in is kind of a slap in the face if you ask me. I love my little city of Muncie, IN. Let me tell you about what Muncie did for me and then maybe you'll understand my 'some type of way' feeling. 

1. Ball Memorial Birthed me. YES, with all the bad reviews I've heard about Ball I was born there and I came out fine. One thing I have to say about Doctors is that they are not God by ANY stretch of the imagination. They cannot command a life to live or to die, they work to keep them living to the best of their ability. But if we're complaining about doctors how about we STOP saying there is nothing here and maybe some (better) doctors will live in Muncie. I don't know, it's just a thought.

2. I went to Garfield and Washington-Carver and made lifelong friends. I met TaRea and Shawn Davis at Garfield in 2nd Grade. I met Jade at Washington Carver in 4th grade at Washington Carver. BOTH of these schools are no longer what they used to be, but to me they will always be the place where my potential as a singer was discovered (I was chosen as Mrs. Clause for the play because I could sing a solo well), it's the place I realized the importance of family support when I'd buy my sisters cookies from Mrs. Green outside of her classroom. While we were all separated I still longed to add to their lives. These are both places where I found out making the right decisions in friends could make for a completely different lifestyle. My experiences run the gamut, but I'm sure you get it.

3. I go to the ABSOLUTE BEST CHURCh in the ENTIRE World. 

Ok, obviously I love my church and that statement stands true in my eyes. Surprisingly (to some)  I don't have a shallow reasoning as to why I see my church as the best. It's not because our music ministry is top notch, it's not because we have 1st Sunday lunch, it's not because it's in a good location, not because we have the most members, and the list could continue. It's because COTLG is a FAMILY. I could ask for nothing more from them, but to continue to be my friends, mentors, cousins, sisters, brothers, uncles, grandpas, grandmas. . . Another benefit is that I don't have some distanced Pastor who only take appointments to talk to me, he texts us, laughs with us, goes out to eat with us, corrects us, teaches us, and LOVES US. I thank God for placing such an impactful church family and Pastor in my life. 

So, while I take all that you have to say as a compliment, don't take away the great things about the place you are from. So what that when people ask the question "what do ya'll do in Muncie for fun," you say "uhhhh, Movies" (for me I say Church lol), take pride in the little things. think about how you will get No more concannon's once you leave or you won't be able to see the fashion show at the South/Central game ( I meant to say the game ya'll... the game, but I guess that's changed now but you get my point). 

While my dreams may be larger than the small town of Muncie, I stand up for this city to the fullest and I will NEVER lie and say I'm from Indianapolis or just claim Ball State (that's probably reason 4 right there) because I love Muncie. 

Maybe I'm getting soft because I'm moving soon but I don't care! Before you say definitive statements with lack of evidence or proof take a step back and breathe in the fragrance of your hometown and the good it's done for you.