I’ve felt deeply connected to two rural places in my life. The first was the Rio Grande Valley in south Texas in a small town called Mercedes, about 5 miles from the Rio Grande River and the Mexican border. I was 3 ½ when I arrived at the small farmhouse on a rural route, surrounded by cottonfields. It was ½ mile to the nearest neighbor. My “swimming pool” was an irrigation ditch and some rather deep potholes in a gravel driveway. A propane tank was my “pony”. My imagination grew as wide as that Texas sky.
When I was 14, I moved to a small town in Indiana. Martinsville, as the county seat for Morgan County, had a town square and courthouse. (At first, I thought all small towns in Indiana had these features.) Martinsville also had an amazing park with the best sledding hill around. My first outdoor ice skating experience was at that park. That’s where I also realized that Hollywood tells very tall tales and park ponds do notcome with their own Zamboni’s. I loved our small-town community, especially modeled in the stories my mom would begin to write about the kindness of friends and strangers. Martinsville was also surrounded by rural spaces and farmlands, hiking trails, lakes and country roads. I had found the best of both worlds.
Indiana and Texas - two vastly different and yet amazingly similar places to grow up.
Fast forward to my moving across the country to Los Angeles as an adult. I wasn’t prepared for what real rush hour traffic meant. And I longed for the weekends when I could travel from the urban sprawl to either the ocean or the mountains. Eventually, I would find myself living in the foothills of Los Angeles in a rural enclave that boasted a creek and horseback riding trails. Clearly, you could take the girl out of the country, but not the country out of the girl.
When I returned to Indiana in 2016, I was excited to share rural spaces with my two youngest boys. I think they agree with me. Bike riding on rural roads, wading in creeks, climbing trees and discovering hidden trails in the woods are a kids’ paradise. It’s so easy to forget the wonder that exists in the countryside. (In fact, during my time living in LA, I would travel back to Indiana to visit my parents. I would tell my LA friends that Indiana was my reality check, a way for me to stay connected to the things that really mattered, not the often superficial environments that city life often projected.)
Rural has always been home for me.
That’s why when I read recently that Indiana came in 49th out of 50 states for Quality of Life, I was shocked. SECOND TO LAST!! I wanted to cry, because it confirmed what I was seeing with so much changing since I grew up here. The ability to simply enjoy life had changed to basic survival for way too many.
One of the reasons I’m running for office is because too many of our children are losing the opportunity to stay in rural Indiana. Whether it's due to limited job opportunities, a lack of affordable housing, or insufficient educational resources, families are finding it increasingly difficult to remain in the communities they’ve called home for generations. I know firsthand the value of growing up in a rural area—the sense of community, the connection to the land, and the simple joys of country life. But without the necessary support and infrastructure, our kids are being forced to leave in search of opportunities elsewhere, and many find it difficult to return. I am committed to ensuring that rural and small-town Indiana remains a place where our children can thrive, where they can build their futures, and where they can choose to stay or return after pursuing their dreams without sacrificing the quality of life that makes these communities so special. Together, we can create a future where our rural towns are not just places to grow up but places to grow and prosper for generations to come.
To continue reading this issue of Mondays with Michelle, click HERE.
Your support means everything to me. To donate Time and Talent, please contact campaign@voteformichellehiggs.com. To donate Treasure, please go HERE.
[Image below: Michelle enjoying a light-hearted moment at a candidate training.]
