Hometown in the heartland: A glimpse at growing up in Lake City, FL

Nestled between the Florida-Georgia border is Lake City, Florida. If you are from a place with any semblance of actual civilization, a trip into “Lake Shitty” will make for quite the culture shock. Once inside the city limits, visitors are stuck by the excess of camouflage jackets, muddy trucks blasting Dixie, and the unsettling realization that everyone is wearing identical cowboy boots and wranglers.

This is an actual picture of the parking lot of the only high school in Lake City

The most important development in the town’s recent history was the grand opening of LC’s very first Chick-Fil-A. To celebrate such a marvel of expanding consumerism, the town gathered together to have their first encounter with those legendary waffle fries and nugs. In spite of its slow start to developing, Lake City has been growing…residents now have access to almost all of the major fast food chains! Whoa.

What Lake City lacks in options, though, is quickly atoned for by the quality of local restaurants. Ken’s Barbecue and Mrs. Chasteen’s are two local restaurants that, for many, are the only two places a true Lake Citian can eat. In the LC: fried corn, corn nuggets, corn casserole, corn on the cob, and creamed corn served with barbecued beef is your best bet for a delicious meal of carbohydrate-riddled goodness.

You can almost hear the chants of “THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN” being shouted through the crowd

Apart from not having WiFi (yes, it is possible to grow up without Netflix), a “mall” with more than three stores, or the vast majority of popular chain restaurants…growing up in Lake City has some perks. Being surrounded by such a small group of people creates an impenetrable sense of community between Lake City locals. This sense of community brings about a great sense of comfort, as locals can rely on each other to come together in tough situations. This community does have limitations, as a lack of diversity contributes to a somewhat racist atmosphere among some residents. Hopefully, this attitude will continue to dissolve as progress is made toward acceptance of all people.

Until the moment equality overcomes prejudice, Lake City will continue to celebrate the infamous Olustee Festival. During this festival, the Civil War is remembered as a time when the “honorable Rebels” almost took victory over the “damn Yankees”.

Despite the horrible implications of the festival, it is revered as one of the most important events that LC has to offer. The Olustee Festival falls second only to Columbia High School’s (the only high school in the entire county Lake City falls in) Homecoming week. Everyone is excused from school in order to watch the Homecoming parade, and many local businesses close to allow students and families to spend Homecoming supporting the Columbia Tigers.

Horses do make life a little more exciting though

Growing up in a small town definitely has pros and cons, but it is important to remember that where you are from does not define who you are. A person’s identity is shaped by the environment they are raised in, but the ability to overcome any prejudices instilled in them as a result of their home is a skill that can only be learned in a place like Lake City. Growing up rural is more than riding horses on a farm. Instead, it’s about learning to love where you come from for the positive values it instils, while fighting against the more toxic parts of that same culture.