Lucas Adcock
Staff Writer
There are residents of Hillsboro who have lived here their entire lives. And I say “here” because I, too, live in Hillsboro.
After living here for nearly two years now, there have been so many wonderful days and nights that I’ve learned just can’t be found anywhere else. At the very least, not in the city. So. I thought, “What would be a great way to explain to everyone how living in Hillsboro is not just another place to live, but an experience?”
In Hillsboro, the nights don’t announce themselves. They arrive quietly, like most everything else. The sun settles and its rays disappear softly behind the mountain until you can hear the nocturnal sounds of nature shuffling and buzzing and croaking. The occasional car that passes by may rumble from the motor, and then it’s gone. When the sun has gone down and the moon has taken its place – that’s when there’s space. Real space. The kind of space that lets you hear a fire crackle or see the stars without having to look for them. A time when the smoke from the stove outside drifts sideways and hugs the ground.
Whether you’re visiting a family member or stumbling through this historical little town, comfort can be found in the most unlikely of places. Hiding in its crevices are the keys to life’s real value. It’s the little things for me: the tinge in my nose from the bit of creosote in the wood stove. The crunch of gravel under the tires. The stars painted on the sky in such a way that it hints at the artist above. And in the mountains, the roaring hills come to life as the night wind whips and echoes farther than the day.
It’s far too often that I am reminded of a life with a quicker pace, and even the short years I’ve lived in Hillsboro have reminded me how much of the quiet life I prefer.
Not only does it remind me that this is how life should be experienced, but also that life is too short to live it any other way. When you look up and see the hazed outline of the Milky Way, it puts meaning into perspective. This place and the ones who live here make it what it is. The close-knit community and thriving atmosphere only add to the experience, everyone just living an honest day-by-day way of life while enjoying each other’s company.
I feel honored to have not only moved here, but to have been welcomed by such kind-hearted people.
Every day, I’m adding to the list of things that make it such a unique and wonderful experience to live here, and it never ceases to amaze.
Lucas Adcock may be contacted at lucasadcock@pocahontastimes.com
Lucas Adcock also writes under the pen name L. A. Porter.
