Small Town? Nahhhh.

As per the census ten years ago, the population of my town is 3,515. Who knows? We could be up to 3.600 now with the new count. :) It's one of those everyone-knows-everyone-even-if-they-don't-know-it kind of towns.

After work today I went to one of the thrift stores in town to check out yarn and whatever little goodies could be in there. I gathered my things and brought them to the register. Older volunteer lady rings me up and tells me the total. I write out my check (so small they don't do debit and I rarely carry cash) and she takes it and looks at it and starts to read it all, "Do you...Oh, here's your phone number...Is everything current?" "Yes, Ma'am." "How do you say your last name?" "Manchack." "Manchack? Hmmm.....Manchack. That's a new name." Smiles. "We've lived here for almost five years now." "Oh, really? Hmmmm....."

I wanted to tell her that I've been in there several times before. I have no idea if she's been in there or not....I don't really pay attention to the ladies as they all stand in a cluster and talk amongst themselves and don't really pay attention to the customers.

If I told her we bought Chuck's house, and if I were a betting person, I'd bet you $10 she'd know whose house I bought, where we lived then, and "something" about us. It's one of those crazy towns where people know you by the car you drive, the house color, who your neighbor is, or the sequence of the last few owners.

My hometown had a population of 18,351 at the 2000 census. I'd say with college kids, etc, it was well over that. The town I work in is 13,594. They're nowhere near big cities. But still everyone knows a lot of people. I didn't like living in Houston because people are rude and show no compassion towards others. I didn't figure it out until Don moved up here that the reason is they just don't care. Don had mentioned something about how he kept seeing the same person or their car or something like that. I was like, "Uh...yeah?" Then it hit me. They're never going to see someone again, so who cares how you treat them?

So Houston/big cities=I don't care for lack of niceness. Small town=weirdos knowing your business even though you don't know them. Creeps me out.

I was shooting a wedding once and the people at the table were telling me that we're their neighbors. Cool. "So where do you live?", I ask. "Around the corner on Elm." "Which house?" "The brick one."

Um. So you can know exactly where I live and whatnot, but I can't know where you live? Creepy.