Zander Melvin – 8/25/21

A favorite place in the world is often a difficult thing for me to try and nail down. As for
anything my opinion on this is going to change and shift, whether it be a few months, weeks, or
even minutes after getting my thoughts down now. So aside from a few places I would hold close
like my room, or a grandparent’s house, I would have to say my favorite place in the world right
now might just be a small town in northern Georgia where my best friend lived. Now I would be
and am the first person to harp and complain about the many, many drawbacks and awful things
about this town. The various iconography and flags seen on nearly every doorstep and
government building that clearly show that the citizens moral and often every outlook on our
world is the polar opposite of mine; the rundown and often degraded areas of the town that
obviously need to be repaired and or replaced, the list goes on. So why would this place of all
places in our world be my favorite? Sure, it does have its sights and nice places to go visit. The
town square that is built up with classical red brick buildings and small shops and restaurants that
create a pleasant atmosphere, the sights of the mountains in the distance which by night would
let you see the stars, and the few but enjoyable recreational activities a small town can offer like
a movie theatre and a bowling alley. But what always makes me enjoy this place isn’t necessarily
the scenery and the entertainment, because you can find that same structure and design in nearly
every small town across the country. I enjoy and remember the time spent there with my friends
and the things we did to try and make the best of a small town that even the rational people living
there seemed to dislike.
The people and the memories that I have are what really stick with me when thinking
about a favorite place. Thankfully my best friend while living there had already done the work of
finding the few good people in town, so the people that I spent time with there didn’t wholly
emulate the typical closed off, small town, country traits that seemingly most of the people in
town seemed to wear with pride. I remember the small-town fair we went to, the fun at the local
stores we went to, and even just sitting out on the porch talking. Whenever you think of the
places you love and let alone which of them is your favorite, you have to think of the memories
that surround them. Without a good memory, a building is just a building. A house is just a
house. A town is just one of thousands across the world. So for as much as I can look at a place
that on its own I would never on my own choose to go and visit, the memories I have there of
having fun with my friends even just driving around, turn that small and old-fashioned town, into
one of my favorite places with the times my friends and I had there.