If you had to make a choice today about where to live, would you pick a small town or would you prefer a bigger city?

Most of us don’t pick the town in which we were raised. Our parents do and we go where our parents want to live.

It’s usually only when we finish our schooling and start on our career that we are the one making the decision of where to live.

Often, we first settle not in the town in which we were raised but in a place where we can find a promising job.

And yes, if we are happy in our work we might stay there. It becomes “home.”

For me, “home” has always meant living in a small town. There is so much about small town living that suits me.

When I lived in Shamokin, the town where I was born, I loved the fact that I knew just about every man, woman and child.

Chances are I also knew the name of their pets as well as quite a bit about their family.

I would have been happy there forever but fate and circumstances took me away.

When we moved because of my husband’s job we found another delightful small town. Palmerton had all the small town attributes that pleased me as well as plenty of friendly, community-minded people.

I loved small town activities like parades, a band shell that featured music each week and a swimming pool where we liked to congregate.

When my husband died I eventually moved to Florida, but only after finding the type of small town I wanted.

What I loved about Englewood was that it evolved slowly, very slowly, from the small fishing village of its inception.

We had no skyscrapers, no bustling downtown, no crowds. A traffic jam was five cars waiting at a red light.

It wasn’t as easy to know everyone because the town was spread out and few people were born and raised here.

Because of our great beach and abundant waterways we full-time residents lived as if we were always on vacation.

A long time ago someone called Englewood “a secret worth keeping.”

Unfortunately, we no longer are doing a good job keeping that secret. Several magazines did a story calling our area one of the best places to retire.

Now we have something ugly - runaway growth. We don’t have the big skyscrapers like those going up in surrounding communities. But they’re coming. Every empty space that was once home only to wonderful wildlife has construction crews working feverously to complete homes for people moving in from other parts of the country.

We still have our wonderful small town vibes but it’s fading.

Merriam Webster dictionary defines the term Podunk as a small, unimportant, isolated town. We no longer can lay claim to that. We are now a popular destination, one of the few waterfront communities that is still affordable.

With year-round balmy weather, it seems to be an irresistible draw.

Believe it or not a cruise line is starting to offer trips to our area. When you get cruise lines coming in you can bet small town living is disappearing.

I can only hope those moving in cherish small town living and don’t want to duplicate the crowded cities from which they moved.

While people my age may relish a small town, most young people do not. My daughters and grandchildren left small town living as soon as they could. They want more active people their age and more social activities.

I just read a study on the internet that offered this conclusion: The farther away from cities people live the happier they tend to be.

The report went on to list seven reasons why people who live in small towns and rural areas are happier.

1. Simple, everyday things help you appreciate small moments and help you be more grateful for what you have rather than striving for more.

2. Small towns offer fewer expenses and less expensive homes than in bigger cities.

3. You are more apt to work to live rather than living to work.

4. Spending 15 minutes a day in nature increases your well-being.

5. It’s easier to make social connections in a small town. The intimacy of a small town fosters deeper connections with others.

6. Small towns usually have more community spirit.

7. There is less emphasis on “things” and more emphasis on experiences.

While that isn’t my list, I do agree with most of those premises.

Think about this. When you live in a small town you are more likely to look people in the eye and greet strangers.

Picture doing that in New York City.

In small towns you are more inclined to know your neighbors.

There are also disadvantages to small town living. For one, health care may not be as good and you may have to travel more for specialists.

There are also fewer jobs in a small town and pay scales are generally smaller.

In my small county many people elect to live in our small town but work in the next county where pay scales are significantly higher. Call it the best of both worlds.

The best world for each of us is where we can find happiness in the place we call home.

For me, that’s a small town.

Contact Pattie Mihalik at newsgirl@comcast.net.