Smithsonian's Stories from Main Street

It's getting hot outside. School is out and July 4 is just around the corner. Summer is here! What does the summer season mean to you? Americans are full of great summer stories. Whether you're meeting a bear on a road trip to Yellowstone or holding on for dear life during a wild whitewater rafting experience, we all have a summer story to tell. These stories are about much more than the fun we have. The real story is how we carry memories of special relationships with our families and friends, and relish our connections to the beauty and thrills of the natural world around us. Celebrate the summer! Get out there and have a great time!

Explore the many ways that people contribute their skills, their passions, and their time to activities that benefit their hometowns. No matter where we live, we benefit from working together to improve the quality of life in the world around us. Listen in as today's storytellers talk about their experiences in serving their communities.

"Too often, the women were unsung, and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achivements, leadership, courage, strength, and love of the women who built American was as vital as that oft eh men whose names we know so well." -- President Jimmy Carter, 1980 proclamation announcing Women's History Week. Since our country's founding, women have been at the forefront of community service and community engagement. American women contribute to the workforce: they are teachers, artists, engineers, scientists, ranchers, politician, and everything in between. Listen in as women talk about how their work contributes to their communities and has an impact on their lives.

In addition to our families, we also share ties that bond us with friends, neighbors, and companions in shared interests like religious, cultural and civic groups. These ties are on prime display in small towns and neighborhoods all over the country. We rely on each other, no matter where we live. We carry a package mistakenly dropped at our door over to our neighbor. We gather together to help families and friends in times of need. These strong bonds are built around a deep love of the people and places around us. It's not romantic love, but community is a special kind of love. Listen in as people across the country talk about the bonds of community and how they make their hometowns a special place.

"How do people have fun in your town?" was one of the most interesting questions Stories from Main Street asked of rural Americans over the years. Never let anyone say that life in small towns or rural communities is boring. While a community may look quiet from the outside, there's a ton of life bubbling within -- from town events to enjoying the natural landscape to swimming with an alligator. (Wait, what? Just listen!) Unsurprisingly, football comes up a lot when people answer this question. Communities will always come together to show their support and appreciation for their hometown teams. Having fun in a small town is built around close relationships with people or the land. How do people have fun in your community?