Motor City to Nowhere City

By: Oksana Hamilton

Two and a half years have passed since my husband and I decided to move. It was very hard for me to leave my hometown of Detroit, Michigan and move to Oldtown, Kentucky. I had lived in Detroit my whole life, which was twenty-six years, and had never been to the country before. Sure, I'd visited Oldtown many times before because my in-laws live there, but I wasn't prepared for the changes that awaited me as a resident there.

In Detroit, it was never boring, and there was always something to do. They have places that are opened twenty-four hours. For example, there is a huge store called "Meiyers" that was one of my favorite places to shop. Anything that you ever wanted or needed was under one roof, from groceries to clothes, to auto parts and lottery tickets. I often found myself shopping at odd hours of the night because it was more convenient and less crowded. There are also party stores on just about every corner, and if I needed anything, a quick walk down to the corner was all it took.

In Oldtown, I was surprised to find that the street rolled up when it got dark. You have to drive fifteen to twenty miles just to get to a store. Also, if you forget to buy anything when you're in town, then you're out of luck because it's a long drive back. It's not very convenient, especially in the summer when you have a car full of frozen foods or ice cream.

I also had to get adjusted to the food in Oldtown. In Detroit, the wide variety of different ethnic foods and restaurants was great. Where I grew up, we bordered a small town that was made up mostly of Polish people and Polish food. Since I'm half Polish, I spent a lot of time there. Once store in particular was my favorite. It was called "Kopytkos," and they made Polish smoked kielbasa. Wednesday was the day to go in because they made it fresh and you could buy it hot right from the oven. When you took a bit, the juice would run down your chin. That kielbasa and a fresh loaf of bread from one of the many bakeries in town was the best thing around to eat.

In Oldtown, really good food is nonexistent and restaurants leave a lot to be desired. I was disappointed to find that there were no decent Chinese restaurants or a place to get a good slab of ribs. There are no bakeries here, and the delicatessens have the worst-tasting lunch meat I've ever had. I often wonder how people get by with the meager choices here.   Crime was also a big factor in our decision to move. Detroit has a lot of crime and you have to look over your shoulder every time you go out. Keeping your doors unlocked or leaving your keys in the car is unheard of. When a girl was killed and dumped naked right on the corner of our block, we knew it was time to go.

In Oldtown, you don't have to worry about so much crime. You can leave your doors unlocked and your keys in your car and not give it a second thought. One example was when we recently bought a truck from a local man. The keys had been rusted inside the ignition because he had never taken then out or saw a need to. That says a lot about the people here and the trust they put in others. The only evidence of crime we see is when we occasionally get our gas drained out of our cars. That means one of the local boys is short on cash and needs some gas to go cruising.

In Detroit, people on the streets often talk to themselves so others will think they're crazy and leave them alone. In Oldtown, people don't have any trouble talking to others on the street. People often end up telling you their life stories if you let them.

Although I miss the food, my family, and the convenience of living in Detroit, I really enjoy living in here in Oldtown. You can't beat the friendly people, the beautiful hills, and the sense of safety you get from living in a small country town. As the days pass, I feel more and more at home here.