small town life
Jun. 23rd, 2006 11:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chelidonThe school nurse from our son's school just called and then came by with her son and daughter, who are about our son's age. We'd told her a while back about his planned surgery, and she was worried about him and wanted to stop by and see him now that he's home, and brought him a very cool Pirates of the Caribbean toy as a get well present (which was a big hit), and we set up a play date between the kids for a month or so down the line when our son will be up to it. She wanted me to know that they're here to help if we need anything during the coming weeks, and it turns our her in-laws are the folks who live two houses up the road who host the local MoveOn parties.
A couple of weeks ago a visiting nurse came by my house to do some basic tests on me for some life insurance I'm getting (nothing like illness in the family to make you focus on all the things you've unwisely put off "'till someday."). While talking to her during the testing it turns out she's the mother of my son's 1st grade teacher, and she actually had a picture in her wallet of my son (of the whole class, not just my son).
When they were pouring the foundation for the house addition, the general contractor's regular foundation guy was unavailable, so he brought in someone else, who turned out to be the father of one of the other kids in my son's 1st grade class. Seems he's got the same model tractor I have, and we're going to lend each other implements sometime this summer (his York rake for my back blade).
etc. etc.
I am still nearly constantly surprised by what a small, small world it is, especially in a small town, and I have to say, after a lifetime of semi-anonymous urban and suburban life, I like it, a sense of place, of connection. And I'm surprised by not being creeped out by it, either. That's probably in large part because folks out here don't pry, and nobody asks, or cares, for instance, what church you go to, or whether you go to church at all. But they do care, and do help each other out. I'm used to that from my communities of choice, but not my community of place. It's very strange, and very strangely welcome, too.
A couple of weeks ago a visiting nurse came by my house to do some basic tests on me for some life insurance I'm getting (nothing like illness in the family to make you focus on all the things you've unwisely put off "'till someday."). While talking to her during the testing it turns out she's the mother of my son's 1st grade teacher, and she actually had a picture in her wallet of my son (of the whole class, not just my son).
When they were pouring the foundation for the house addition, the general contractor's regular foundation guy was unavailable, so he brought in someone else, who turned out to be the father of one of the other kids in my son's 1st grade class. Seems he's got the same model tractor I have, and we're going to lend each other implements sometime this summer (his York rake for my back blade).
etc. etc.
I am still nearly constantly surprised by what a small, small world it is, especially in a small town, and I have to say, after a lifetime of semi-anonymous urban and suburban life, I like it, a sense of place, of connection. And I'm surprised by not being creeped out by it, either. That's probably in large part because folks out here don't pry, and nobody asks, or cares, for instance, what church you go to, or whether you go to church at all. But they do care, and do help each other out. I'm used to that from my communities of choice, but not my community of place. It's very strange, and very strangely welcome, too.
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no subject
Date: 2006-06-23 05:59 pm (UTC)one of my thesis supervisors was also head girl of the same school - several years ahead of me (and unknow to me when I signed up)
at camp a few years back I suddenly discovered a friend, who I've known for years was also....at the same school, 20 years before.
and even, while on holiday in egypt I bumped into someone - from my year.
what do we learn from this? that the world is indeed a very small place!
no subject
Date: 2006-06-25 09:56 pm (UTC)