Small Town Life Hinders a Good Fit
If you live in my area, it's hard to believe that I refer to our suburb as small town. Trust me. I mean- the traffic doesn't feel small town, but it is. It's like this: Doug is working on his 21st year teaching. All 21 years have been in the same school. I'm working on year 19. Twelve years have been at this school. We live in the same community that the school we teach in is located in. Our kids have extra curricular activities in this community. We go to church in this same community. We shop, eat out, and go to the doctor in this community. It's not a completely unreasonable request that I have facetiously said I must know at least 3 generations of a family- of whoever my kids want to date.
We have purposely chosen to live this way. We love that we know our town. Sometimes though . . . sometimes it's not always good.
Say, a person takes their car to get an inspection . . . a month late. Say that same person- was 3 months late getting their inspection last year, because they failed it last year, and got a ticket as a result (of course- we thankfully have a lawyer friend in our small town, and she graciously helped me out). So . . . back to this year, I took my car to the same place I went last year- where I failed, and wouldn't you know it- they failed me again! This time it was because my rear right taillight was cracked. Really? That's a problem? Because the doggone light still worked . . . but whatevs. We ordered a new taillight, popped it on, everything worked, took it back, and doggone wouldn't you know it . . . I failed again! They claimed the light didn't work. Unfortunately, I had had just about enough of this place. I said something like, "Oh gracious. You sweet gentlemen are just too much for my silly head. I just don't know what to do. I'll let my husband come back here." Ok- it was really nothing like that. I channeled my inner "leader of a motorcycle gang," stomped up out of that place, and swore I would never darken their door again!
See- the trouble with throwing a fit in a small-ish town, where you teach is . . . you just never know where that dude you cursed at, is gonna show back up. I could walk into a parent teacher conference tomorrow morning and . . . there's the dude I acted less than mature to- sitting across the table. At that point- the conference is over. He wins. I obviously am in the wrong, and he can't trust me. I'm a foul mouthed hooligan, and I can't punish his kid for being the same way.
Fast forward to today. I took my car to the local Honda Dealership so they can look at the passenger sliding door. It won't close. (really not much more stressful than a kid opening a door that may or may not close back- and fearing that you may have to drive to a destination with your passenger side door open.) I arrived at 3:25 for my 3:30 appointment. They took it back and told me to go sit in the waiting area. I sat, and sat, and sat, and sat, and sat . . . what in the world! All I wanted them to do, was look at the door. I just wanted an estimate. 35 minutes later . . . I'm still sitting there. 45 minutes later . . . I'm still sitting there. I considered kindly approaching the service manager and being like, "Excuse me kind sir, but what in the blue blazing hell is going on up in this here joint??!!! Gosh almighty! It's a door. Look at it! Tell me how much it's going to freaking cost to fix it!" Thankfully I didn't do that. Thankfully I sat my butt in that chair, and didn't utter a word. I read a book on my phone. Sent Doug irritating texts every 10 minutes that I was still waiting, and that I was about to waste away into nothingness. FINALLY they called me out to the service area, and I discovered that they had fixed my car, didn't even charge me . . . and oh yeah, the service tech, turned out to be a former student of both mine and Doug's.
OMG- I am so embarrassed at the thought of acting a fool. I would have deserved the shame I brought down on myself- but thankfully I didn't. And . . . it was the final reminder for . . . no matter how dumb, mad, or impatient I think something is, or I feel . . . I better keep it in check. I might, just might know that person.
We have purposely chosen to live this way. We love that we know our town. Sometimes though . . . sometimes it's not always good.
Say, a person takes their car to get an inspection . . . a month late. Say that same person- was 3 months late getting their inspection last year, because they failed it last year, and got a ticket as a result (of course- we thankfully have a lawyer friend in our small town, and she graciously helped me out). So . . . back to this year, I took my car to the same place I went last year- where I failed, and wouldn't you know it- they failed me again! This time it was because my rear right taillight was cracked. Really? That's a problem? Because the doggone light still worked . . . but whatevs. We ordered a new taillight, popped it on, everything worked, took it back, and doggone wouldn't you know it . . . I failed again! They claimed the light didn't work. Unfortunately, I had had just about enough of this place. I said something like, "Oh gracious. You sweet gentlemen are just too much for my silly head. I just don't know what to do. I'll let my husband come back here." Ok- it was really nothing like that. I channeled my inner "leader of a motorcycle gang," stomped up out of that place, and swore I would never darken their door again!
See- the trouble with throwing a fit in a small-ish town, where you teach is . . . you just never know where that dude you cursed at, is gonna show back up. I could walk into a parent teacher conference tomorrow morning and . . . there's the dude I acted less than mature to- sitting across the table. At that point- the conference is over. He wins. I obviously am in the wrong, and he can't trust me. I'm a foul mouthed hooligan, and I can't punish his kid for being the same way.
Fast forward to today. I took my car to the local Honda Dealership so they can look at the passenger sliding door. It won't close. (really not much more stressful than a kid opening a door that may or may not close back- and fearing that you may have to drive to a destination with your passenger side door open.) I arrived at 3:25 for my 3:30 appointment. They took it back and told me to go sit in the waiting area. I sat, and sat, and sat, and sat, and sat . . . what in the world! All I wanted them to do, was look at the door. I just wanted an estimate. 35 minutes later . . . I'm still sitting there. 45 minutes later . . . I'm still sitting there. I considered kindly approaching the service manager and being like, "Excuse me kind sir, but what in the blue blazing hell is going on up in this here joint??!!! Gosh almighty! It's a door. Look at it! Tell me how much it's going to freaking cost to fix it!" Thankfully I didn't do that. Thankfully I sat my butt in that chair, and didn't utter a word. I read a book on my phone. Sent Doug irritating texts every 10 minutes that I was still waiting, and that I was about to waste away into nothingness. FINALLY they called me out to the service area, and I discovered that they had fixed my car, didn't even charge me . . . and oh yeah, the service tech, turned out to be a former student of both mine and Doug's.
OMG- I am so embarrassed at the thought of acting a fool. I would have deserved the shame I brought down on myself- but thankfully I didn't. And . . . it was the final reminder for . . . no matter how dumb, mad, or impatient I think something is, or I feel . . . I better keep it in check. I might, just might know that person.
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