Big Man Around Town

I was hungry as I strolled into town.  I looked around, trying to figure out what it was I wanted, when I came upon a small mexican restaurant.  Very mom and pop place.  I entered and was directed to a table near the back of the building.

At one table sat a man eating all by himself.  Just enjoying his lunch hour.  The door made it's little jingle as a tall, slightly plump man and a younger man entered.  They looked around as if to see if there was a table for them.  But then, they spotted the man, and asked if they could join him.

I sat there, looking over the menu, but could hear their conversation.  

Apparently, the older man was some kind of big deal around town.  He started asking the original guy how he was, and what his intentions were concerning one of his female employee's.  I was taken aback.  Do they do this kind of stuff in small towns? 

From what I could gather, they were trying to find out all the good and bad about him.  Why did he get divorced the first time, why he wants to get married to this worker of his.  They all but asked him how much money he made.  

Holding his own, the man said that he loved her, and other than that it was none of their business.  He told them that he didn't care that he was a big man around town, and some people were afraid of him.  He was his own person and to stay out of his and her personal life.

I sat in wonder.  This is why I try to just stay for a little amount of time in my travels around the small towns.  They have a small town set of rules, that I guess everyone knows.  

I could sense that the big man around town was put off that he couldn't scare the man.   But it was very apparent that he will try to do what he can to make him suffer for it.

Small town bullies.  Time to move on.

Small Town I's

Welcome to my blog.  Culture Shock is the order of business here.  This is a view of the small town I's, through Big City Eyes.

My first observation about the small towns in America.  What a culture shock for this big city girl.

I was amazed how in my city, we could have a gang war in Central Park on the Fourth of July, and when the cops got there, Nobody saw nothing!

There could be bloody, bullet riddled bodies strewn across the park, and not a single witness.  No one heard gun fire, or saw anything!

Not so much in the small towns.  Here, the I's have it.  They see everything, hear everything and tell everything to everyone.  The following short story, is an example of that.

There is a teacher in their school.  Now this high class bitch has been there since the start of time.  I'm pretty sure she came in before the first block was laid in the foundation of the school.  One of those old timers.

When I visited the area for a short time, I toured the school.  I got to know a lot of the people there.  In one short week, I knew more about that town than I knew about my Big City Neighbors, in five years.

As the story goes,  Mrs. BetterThanU, had married well.  She had married the local banker.  In that town of 10, the banker was as far up the ladder as you could go.  Banker's Wife was the top title.  She owned that title and she was not afraid to use it.

Seems, she set her sights on teaching at the school.  Family after family filed into the school and demanded she NOT be allowed to have the job.  Seems, her over use of her title, had made her a very unpopular woman.  It appears, her reputation preceded her.  There was no way the patrons of the school district wanted to deal with her as their kids passed through her class.

The Banker, knowing his life would be over if Mrs BetterThanU, did not get her way, so he sent in his mighty warriors to sway the school and pave the way for his wife to become a teacher.  Needless to say, money talks and as the story goes, she got the job.

That had to have been over 20 years ago.  Total strangers told me the story.  People who had never seen me, had no reason to tell me anything, told me how this person got her job over 20 years ago.  I had details, dates and names.

That my dear readers, is the difference between, "Big City Eyes"  and "Small Town I's".

This is the first of many observations about the big city girl, who is exploring, small town USA.  Keep an eye out for me.  I may be in your town next!