Suburban Malaise

People move to a town like Marengo for a variety of reasons. Some want the feel of small town life and to get away from the big cities. Others want a safe place to raise their kids in. And then there's those who just like cheaper housing. But whatever the reason, it is interesting to examine what the differences between living in a small town and a suburban community might be.
The main problem facing suburban communities today seems to be a lack of connections. People live in houses that look the same, drive cars, rarely talk to their neighbors, and really have no connection with each other. Pick any large suburb and you realize that it consists mainly of middle class houses, restaurants, fast food stands, a library, and malls. Sure, there are community meetings in City Halls and events that attract people, but these are not places where those in a community gather in order to get together and vote on or celebrate events as a community. The town meetings consist only of people who are interested in politics, whereas in a small town like Marengo politics is everybody's business and many people of all backgrounds come to town meetings. The celebrations in suburban communities are not meant to bring people together, but to bring revenue for the suburb. Sure, people from the suburb might come and enjoy the event, but they rarely talk or see other people who they live with. They stay isolated, as before. In a small town, a celebration brings friends and neighbors together. No one is a stranger. The worst part of a suburban community, though, is the mall. People go to these ugly contraptions, all of which look the same and are of no interest architecturally, in order to shop and buy items, or simply to hang out when bored. In a small town, there is no mall. If people want to shop, they of course often leave town and shop in a suburb. But just as often they also shop at small stores, where they see people whom they live with, who are often familiar to them, talk and exchange gossip, and come back with a feeling of having accomplished something. For these reasons and these reasons alone, I would choose a small town over a large suburb or city any day.