Farm Kid on Tractor<\/span><\/p> READ MORE: 21 Photos of Life in Small-Town America During the ’70s<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s also a sense of freedom you can\u2019t take for granted, and plenty of things out there that can hurt you. (If you\u2019ve ever been up close and personal with a combine, you get it). Instinct isn\u2019t optional; it\u2019s necessary for survival.<\/p>\n Even the quiet is loud. Spend a summer night in a cornfield, and you\u2019ll quickly realize just how deafening the chorus of crickets can be.<\/p>\n Perhaps the most striking part of growing up country are the life lessons you learn day by day.<\/p>\n Farm Pets Become Dinner<\/span><\/p> READ MORE:\u00a0Photos That Take You Back to Summers in Your Grandparents’ Yard<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n From realizing the animals around you can be both pets and dinner, to knowing exactly where you belong (and where you don\u2019t), to understanding the unspoken social rules of the pool hall and the field parties.<\/p>\n Things have changed a lot, though. In the 1970s, roughly one-quarter of Americans lived in rural areas<\/a>. By 2020, only about 20%<\/a> still lived out where the country roads really do take you home.<\/p>\n From back-of-the-truck rides to farm chores, loud summer nights, and learning that some \u201cpets\u201d become dinner, these are the moments every country kid remembers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Take a trip down memory lane \u2014 and down Main Street \u2014 with these photos from the 1970s that capture small-town life before social media and smartphones, when things were simpler, slower, and full of real-world experiences.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nFreedom Comes With a Learning Curve<\/h3>\n
27 Things You\u2019ll Instantly Recognize If You Grew Up a Country Kid<\/h2>\n
20 Photos That Perfectly Capture Small-Town Life in the 1970s<\/h2>\n