"Everyone's famous...

in a small town."

Okay, quick update to make the rest of this make sense:

I moved to Western SD at the end of August to take a job as the 4-H/Youth Development Extension Educator in Haakon and Jackson Counties. I have been working here now for 2.5 weeks and am getting around to meeting people. For those of you from small towns, you may appreciate this.

Kadoka and Philip (the two towns I work in) share a newspaper company meaning that stories that deal with both cities get published in both papers automatically. Nice deal. Well, last week I was finally in town when the interviewer lady (Rhonda) could come interview me. Great. I cleaned off my desk and prepared myself to talk about how excited I was to be working with all the families and whatnot--like an interview for a new person in town would be expected to go.

But no. Instead, I was asked about my life before moving out here for pretty much all of the interview. Now, this makes sense--it allows all these people who have known eachother since diapers and crayolas get to know me a little better. Fair enough; I told her all about growing up on the other side of the River.

Then, towards the end, Rhonda and I were just making small talk. She asked if it was hard coming out here where I didn't know anyone. "Sure, but everyone here is so nice and welcoming, I feel at home already." She then asked if I had left a significant other ont he other side of the state.

Boom. There it was. The infamous "Are you single?" question I've been getting for weeks. But, since I had become accustomed to it I answered that, yes, I was single. She closed her notepad, snapped some pictures, and left. Easy enough.

Fastforward to Wednesday. The paper came out and there I was, taking up a quarter of the front page (above the fold). And, in the 5th paragraph are the words that will follow me everywhere for the next few months: "young, single, and energetic." Wow. Nothing like advertising it to 2 counties!

I love small communities.