Why I love Deerfield, IL and want you to love your dinky hometown too

I’m often suspicious of my former high school classmates who complain about our home. Phrases like “It’s too small and boring” and “I couldn’t wait to leave it behind” seem fairly common when Deerfield High School alumni talk about their hometown.

And maybe Deerfield, IL, with her 18,297 residents and limited shopping options, isn’t the height of metropolitan living. Maybe this North Shore suburb of Chicago lacks some of the qualities adventure seekers desire.

But, to be honest, I have very little patience for people who don’t appreciate where they came from.

Save for the people who came from objectively unsafe and damaging places, it seems odd that so many of my friends and classmates look down on the place they grew up. Many UIUC students from rural and suburban settings seem to regard their homes as “unbearably boring” at worst and “meh” at best.

Deerfield’s proud town hall building

Especially in Spring break’s wake, I see Illini after Illini describe their homebound break as “uneventful” and “not that interesting.”

I implore that all students who dislike their hometown on the basis of boredom take time to revaluate their understanding of fun. After all, someone who knows how to stimulate themselves should be able to find enjoyment even in an entertainment vacuum.

My childhood and adolescence, though set primarily in an unremarkable suburb, was full of laughter and tomfoolery. Even without skyscrapers and a mass transit system, I learned from an early age to entertain myself with close friend and a wide variety of interests.

Deerfield’s sprawling shopping district

Deerfield offered me a comfortable base to begin my own search for adventure and entertainment. This search allowed me to discover my passion for writing, debate, journalism, puppetry, theater, music and history.

But, perhaps more important, my hometown’s comparative boringness posed the challenge for my friends and I to find ways around those restrictions.

I can recall how Deerfield’s lackluster atmosphere made my adolescence arguably more entertaining. Barred from access to the urban sprawl of entertainment, my friends and I made our own fun. Mythic locations like The Creek By Josh’s House and The Japanese Garden By The Office Building became points of exploration and death defying rope swinging.

A very exceptional Deerfield family

After all, Napoleon III only built cultural centers and theaters in order to distract his public from their love for violent uprising. A bored population usually likes to break the rules, and my friends and I were no exception. Hours were dedicated to Cops and Robbers games through our neighbors’ backyards, and climbing on top of public buildings was one of our favorite hobbies.

It’s also important to give the Village of Deerfield it’s fair due. From Chipotle to McDonalds, Barnes and Noble to Dogout burgers, Deerfield certainly has a fair selection of restaurants and stores. Although we’re thankfully located to better shopping opportunities (Chicago, Highland Park, Lake Forest, etc.), there are enough options to entertain yourself on an “uneventful” day.

In many ways, the mid-sized, uneventful towns that so many of us complain about, shaped us in to the people we are today. It’s a  mystery why anyone would waste their energy explaining how little they appreciate their homestead.

Whether you’re from Deerfield, IL; Middleofnowhere, IN; Bumblefuck, TX – your hometown led you to this kick-ass university. So, could it really be that bad?

To everyone who felt “bored” over break: embrace your past, your old friends, your old high school and you’ll realize why hating your hometown is just a symptom of being dissatisfied with yourself.