Small Town Encounters of the Weird Kind

A week or two before school started,

I knew I would need to get into school every second I had

and that would mean even taking the kids with me once in a while.

So I loaded them in the car one day and started the trek to Eagle Mtn.

I figured stopping to get some food would keep them from bugging me for food at my classroom, so we pulled in to good ol' Arctic Circle in Saratoga Springs.

Now, my first mistake was going to Arctic Circle,

but they had a play place and I was hoping it would get some play into their system for when they were in my classroom and not allowed to play.

My second mistake was talking loudly (read normal voice) to an old friend from our ward who I saw there, telling him that I just started a new job at the school out there.

A very local couple overheard me and started joining in on our conversation.

"Did you just say they got a new principal out at that school?"

Surprised at first that this lady was addressing me,

mostly because she was not even really close to where we were talking

and mostly because I had not been talking to her,

I stumbled over my words a little

but told her that I had said that I was a new teacher

but that, no, it was the same principal.

She then went into a very lengthy conversation

(mostly with herself and her husband)

about how that principal should retire

and that he was "ignorant and rude"

and that none of the parents like him

and how she was hoping that they had replaced him already.

I asked her if her kids went to that school

and she told me oh, no, that they lived in the City Center

(which I hear is even more WT than EM itself,

although just a mile or so outside the main part of town)

Another lady sitting next to her

with three kids screaming and running around the play place

then joined in and talked about how she is a member of the PTA

and informed me that they have "a lot of power"

and should do something about it.

The first lady was suddenly on her cell phone

telling a neighbor how the principal was still working there

and that she had just met a new teacher

who didn't know about all the things he had done.

I stopped listening to her conversation on the phone

as soon as I realized she had called that neighbor

just to talk about what we were talking about.

I was flabbergasted and looking around with shifty eyes

wondering if anyone else was hearing this insanity.

What a weird, WEIRD experience.

Did this small insignificant news just travel through space and time to a fourth party

as quickly as her finger could press speed dial?

What could possibly happen in this town if it was actually something worth talking about?

Were these small towners really that desperate to have something to talk about?

Is my business going to become everyone else's business?

I already knew the answer

and the anxiety began to sprout in my stomach.

So a few nights ago, I googled myself and there it was.

My blog.

In all it's glory, first link in line.

Frightening.

Especially after this weird encounter at the Arctic Circle.

When I started this blog, it was the first summer of stay-at-home-mom-hood.

When I had put in my year leave of absence.

And was struggling with the changes happening in my life at that time.

And was needing to talk about it.

I didn't think about anyone else finding it

because it was mainly to keep in touch with my bff Jen

who had just moved to LA

and talked me into starting a blog in the first place.

And to keep in touch with a few friends and family who I didn't talk to very often.

But now, two years later,

I might have four faithful people still wanting to follow along and read up on my life and times so I wanted to give you the heads up.

It's private time.

I don't need small town crazies reading everything about my life because let's face it,

I write anything and everything here.

And for those small town crazies already reading this, please call your neighbors and tell them what I have said because I don't like repeating myself.

Heh heh.

So will I need to invite you?

I can invite up to 100 people in a private blog

so I would like 100 comments on this post to know you are there.

If you are commenter #101, thems the breaks.

Better hurry...