When I meet older people in the small towns and countryside near our ranch in central Texas, 40 miles south of “The Cowboy Capital of the World,” Stephenville, Texas, I find that, in most cases, most of these people were born, raised, or visited relatives or friends in this part of Texas as children. The memories that were created during that impressionable time in their lives stayed with them. Many of the young people who lived here moved to the cities to attend college, work, and eventually marry and start a family. Some of the same people who couldn’t wait to get to the city realized the country wasn’t such a bad place to be after all and wisely decided to invest in a second home for a weekend getaway, some with hopes. to retire there. Meanwhile, their children have also reaped the benefits of spending time in the country. Many of these people stay in these homes long after their children are gone and they have children of their own.

My husband and I have lived in the country full time since 2003. Before that, we had a weekend getaway on 40 acres in Bosque County, between Meridian and the small town of Cranfills Gap, a small town rich in Norwegian history. We now have a larger location near Hamilton, Texas and plan to stay here as long as we can. Since we’ve been here, I’ve seen many of our older neighbors return to the cities they left years ago. Many have lived their dream of living in the country and are ready to return to the comforts that city life has to offer. Some leave because they have lost their spouse and do not want to be alone. Others have health problems and are more comfortable living closer to medical facilities. Many just want to be closer to their children and grandchildren. Many of our neighbors travel constantly to attend baseball games, soccer games, school plays, etc. of their grandchildren and eventually choose to live closer to them. We have met some people who decide to stay in the country after losing a spouse who leads a very active life and has no desire to move. Sometimes their children convince them to come to them so that they will be around if a problem arises. Then there are the lucky ones who have lived to a ripe old age and are perfectly content to live out their days in the country alone. A lady who lives near us recently died at the age of 103 and was still living in her own home. I was told of another old lady who lived here years ago who always answered the door with a gun in her hand covered by a dish towel in case of an unwanted visitor. She chose to stay in the country and was apparently a very resourceful little lady.

Wherever you live, life is only as enjoyable as you choose to make it. We all have to choose which forks in the road to take as we approach them. For us, we chose the fork that led to a quieter, simpler life in the country. We know that the day may come when we decide to return to the city. Until that time comes, we choose to enjoy all that the country has to offer: the beautiful skies and sunrises and sunsets, the abundant wildlife we ​​see every day, the wildflowers and spring rains, the quiet of the afternoon interrupted only by the hooting of an owl or the plaintive sound of a coyote howling in the distance and the promise of waking up to another glorious Texas morning. I know the “golden years” are approaching (although I don’t see anything “golden” about it), so I intend to store enough memories for the rest of my life while still choosing to live in the country. The last ten years of living in the country and those to come are what I will consider “golden” and I will always be grateful that I was lucky enough to have had that privilege. Sometimes the simple pleasures in life are the best. I’m discovering that every day in my own “little piece of Texas.”