MOODY, TX — The coronavirus has changed all our lives. No matter where you live, you no doubt do things differently than a month ago.
It's no different in small towns in some ways, but small towns feel the change a little differently.
As the coronavirus moves through big cities, people in small towns seem to feel the impact a little less, but they still feel an impact.
Sue Wigglesworth decided to take the backroads from Whitney to Austin. She stopped in Moody for lunch because she likes the small town atmosphere, just like her home.
"I'm grateful, because, you know, I have everything I need right there," she explained.
She says you find less panic-buying in small towns and less craziness, which means no trouble finding what she needs.
"I've been there for two years so I have everything in my house, I have enough dish soap, toothpaste, enough toilet paper, you know, I'm good," she said.
But even little things can make a big difference here, like the loss of sporting events.
"The kids don't go to school. They don't have any more sports, and that's one of the two big things here in Moody," said Amandine Hou, who owns a pastry shop on the highway.
Her business continues hanging on thanks to visitors like Sue Wigglesworth.
”Taking care of each other, neighbor taking care of neighbor," she said.
Moody, about half way between Waco and Belton, has always been a quiet little place where people can spread out.
"I've been here, what, 47 years? And I love it here. I have a little ranch out there, and I have my ponies and my dogs," said Arlyn Storey, who ventured out Friday for the first time in three weeks.
She found her town quieter than normal, with fewer folks out and about.
It's hit store owners like Joe Zuehlke in the wallet. So as sales slump, he's doing a little lawn mower repair work.
"You don't sell as much. People are a little more fearful of a lot of things," said the hardware store owner.
Businesses that normally see a steady stream of business have adjusted to fewer, less frequent customers. But you'll find a determination here, that this town will make it, even if it means with less money in their pockets.
”I'd say so. Not as many people coming through, not as many people spending money. Do I think I'm gonna make it? Somehow. We're survivors, " said Zuehlke.
Arlyn Story says if she has to ride out a pandemic, there's no better place on earth to do it.
"I wouldn't live, right now, anyplace else. Is it better to live in a small town or a big city right now? No, small town, rural. The air is, you're out in the air, you're not on top of people. I just think it's much better," she said.
On the plus side, lots of small towns have reported no cases of coronavirus. People here say they aim to keep it that way.
