Proctorville, Ohio

I made the trip to Ohio with the kids all by myself....and even came back with the same two I left with!

Disclaimer: As I got on the road, I realized that I had not charged my good camera, so most of my pictures on this trip were taken with my iphone. They didn't turn out too bad, but definitely not as of good quality that I like.

Proctorville, Ohio is a small town (a village actually) along the Ohio River, across from Huntington, WV. I grew up in "Proctorvegas" and loved the true sense of community among the folks who reside there. My mom asked me recently if I miss it and I had a hard time answering her. I miss some things about it, like driving down the road and knowing almost ever person you pass. I miss the people who live there, like my friends and my family. But moreover I miss the good times from when I was younger. You could play outside without parental supervision. You could ride a moped several miles across town and it wasn't a big deal. A date could include sitting in a pick-up truck looking up at the stars. Life was simple then, or at least I like to remember it that way.

When I go back to visit, I am amazed to see the things that have changed: new businesses, new roads, new homes...signs of growth! And still there are things that haven't changed in a long time: the police station/village hall/water company share the same old church building and of course the overwhelming pride in Marshall University....almost everyone wears "Herd" apparel. Speaking of apparel, I found this t-shirt at Kroger. It says "Greetings from Proctorville" and shows a Fairland school bus, a fire station, a Kroger, a post office and a barn. That's pretty accurate, minus the East End Bridge, some gas stations and a pizza joint!

Interesting fact: According to the 2000 Census, the population of Proctorville was just 620...that's about how many folks live in my neighborhood in Morrisville, NC!