Why am I glad to call Tyrone my home? Many reasons, but I’d have to say that for me the top reason is that we have, hands down, the best neighbors.
True story: When my second daughter was one week old, wildfires broke out across the fields and woods of Tyrone. My wife and I were at the pediatrician’s office with the kids when we got the news. The flames spread into the wooded area behind our house, right up to and even into our lawn. We were unable to return home. But our neighbors from all around helped us, before we could even ask. They came over with buckets, hoses, and shovels to keep the flames at bay until the firefighters could show up. They looked after my mother-in-law, who was home alone at the time. They saved the day, and they have been wonderful ever since.
That night, we got a call from our next door neighbor. We could still see embers glowing in the woods, even though the ground all around had been scorched. They were worried about flames spreading in the night. I reassured them that with the baby still on an “up all night” sleeping schedule, I wouldn’t be going to sleep until morning, so I would keep watch. And I did. We trust our neighbors, and our neighbors trust us. That’s the kind of town it is.
It’s the kind of town where my kids can play in the backyard, where I can teach them to ride bikes on the quiet road in front of our house. We have neighbors who grow their own vegetables and keep egg-laying chickens, and are happy to share. We have unique local restaurants, beautiful parks and open spaces, and a phenomenal live theatre. Anything a person could want from any of our neighboring cities is easy to get to, and easy to come home from.