3 ms·

You're correct that I haven't lived in every small town in America, thus having no direct experience, but I routinely enjoy the small towns more than cities. It

• blamestross 7y ago
  Yet it is true. Far fewer people would live there if they got the chance to get out. The normal pattern (as it has been for 200 years) is: 16 year olds get pregnant. They were never told any sex Ed other than "don't" and abortion isn't an option. They are informed that all goals for their life other than parenthood are waste and instead of leaving (for work or education) they join the local enconomy and make just barely enough to support their new "family". They proceed to struggle and fight to survive until their children are grown, by which point the cycle is repeating. It's a very stable pattern of behavior. I've watched 3 generations of women berate the 4th for getting pregnant out of "wedlock" at 16 when all of them were conceived the same way. I know it hurts to find out something you love is built from a horrible pattern. But it is worth enduring the pain and seeking understanding.