We've been annoited...
...into the elitist crowd. I'm not exactly sure how it happened or even when it happened, but it definitely happened. My social calendar is now bright with stickers reminding me of upcoming pool parties, BBQ's , comedy fundraisers, potlucks, hockey nights etc; all of which we've been invited to. There is so much irony to this story, Shakespeare would be envious.
Small rural towns are eerily similar to religious sects. You're either in or you're out. There is no grey area. I spent two years of my adolescence in a small town and I was definitely out. While most teenage girls spent their Friday evenings at the mall or grooming for house parties with the school quarterback on their arm , I was playing Euchre with the boys. Not only was I not in, I was the evil nemesis of the town. Mostly ignored but frequently despised. The welcome wagon that met me at my locker the first day of school swiftly reminded me that if I even looked at their boyfriends I was dead. I was looking for my tupperware container of peanut butter squares and a Aloe plant but neither arrived. I did get a few crank calls though. The boys were interested initially. Afterall, I was a city girl and didn't city girls put out? Not this girl. My popularity with the males waned after a mere 2 months. The small town experience left a very bad impression and when 15 years later I decided to pack up and move to another postage stamp on the map, I was cynical before the first box was unpacked.
My girls had one important advantage. The began school in this small town. They were one of them from day one of kindergarten. Drew has proven unbelievable popular, with little Jade on her heels. I watch in fascination how everytime I take Drew to school, the kids swarm her. They beg to play with her, offer bribery cookies in exchange for her to be their gym partner, invite her to sleepovers/birthday parties/play dates. It's not a surprise. She's the star goalie on the towns hockey team, she was snowboarding at age 5, playing rugby by age 6 and her best friends are popular twin boys. Her smile is absolutely infectious, her self confidence resonating and bias aside, she is the cutest little button. Yes, she is the reason we are now in the elite crowd.
How positively embarrassing. Our 7 year daughter made us popular. S and I can't help but chuckle over this. We were invisible in this cow town until Drew took them by storm. Now, she's invited everywhere and by proxy, we started being invited too. Of course it didn't hurt that I coach these kids and we prevailed as the 2007 champions. Eventually, we made our way to the guest list for the adult functions and now, its never ending.
Saturday evening we were invited to a private party , the theme of course being hockey. This town ( like every other in Ontario) is obsessed with hockey. The twins parents hosted and they went all out. Three big screen tv's strategically placed throughout the house, one on the enormous deck that we could watch while sipping wine in the pool. No, I am not kidding. The food and drink were plentiful, the children blissfully playing in the pool or on the jungle gym or on the trampoline. Not to be outdone by anyone, dusk brought with it a full out fireworks display. The 30 minute show was breathtaking and during the performance, S nudges me and we break out in laughter. We can't believe we're here. We can't believe we're part of this crowd. We're convinced there must be some mistake. We're pathetic. We can't linger too long after the fireworks because tomorrow there is a BBQ and on Monday a Birthday party. All hosted by members of this crowd. From the inside I've gained alot of insight. I understand why people who are out will do just about anything to be in this stereotypical elite crowd. The connection and sense of belong is like nothing I've experienced. Its surreal . I keep waiting for the day when I'll do something stupid and free fall from grace. I've also learned that as a teenager I didn't have a snowballs chance in hell of belonging. It mattered then. It doesn't matter now. Maybe, thats the key. We haven't changed. We refuse to change and adapt. We don't blend at all with these folks and I like that just fine. I can enjoy then for who who they are without wanting to be like them
I will not buy and SUV. I will not start getting pedicures and I will not gossip for hours like a hen with tourettes.
All these years later and I finally got my peanut butter squares and aloe plant. I didn't eat the squares and I killed the plant. I never want to morph.
Small rural towns are eerily similar to religious sects. You're either in or you're out. There is no grey area. I spent two years of my adolescence in a small town and I was definitely out. While most teenage girls spent their Friday evenings at the mall or grooming for house parties with the school quarterback on their arm , I was playing Euchre with the boys. Not only was I not in, I was the evil nemesis of the town. Mostly ignored but frequently despised. The welcome wagon that met me at my locker the first day of school swiftly reminded me that if I even looked at their boyfriends I was dead. I was looking for my tupperware container of peanut butter squares and a Aloe plant but neither arrived. I did get a few crank calls though. The boys were interested initially. Afterall, I was a city girl and didn't city girls put out? Not this girl. My popularity with the males waned after a mere 2 months. The small town experience left a very bad impression and when 15 years later I decided to pack up and move to another postage stamp on the map, I was cynical before the first box was unpacked.
My girls had one important advantage. The began school in this small town. They were one of them from day one of kindergarten. Drew has proven unbelievable popular, with little Jade on her heels. I watch in fascination how everytime I take Drew to school, the kids swarm her. They beg to play with her, offer bribery cookies in exchange for her to be their gym partner, invite her to sleepovers/birthday parties/play dates. It's not a surprise. She's the star goalie on the towns hockey team, she was snowboarding at age 5, playing rugby by age 6 and her best friends are popular twin boys. Her smile is absolutely infectious, her self confidence resonating and bias aside, she is the cutest little button. Yes, she is the reason we are now in the elite crowd.
How positively embarrassing. Our 7 year daughter made us popular. S and I can't help but chuckle over this. We were invisible in this cow town until Drew took them by storm. Now, she's invited everywhere and by proxy, we started being invited too. Of course it didn't hurt that I coach these kids and we prevailed as the 2007 champions. Eventually, we made our way to the guest list for the adult functions and now, its never ending.
Saturday evening we were invited to a private party , the theme of course being hockey. This town ( like every other in Ontario) is obsessed with hockey. The twins parents hosted and they went all out. Three big screen tv's strategically placed throughout the house, one on the enormous deck that we could watch while sipping wine in the pool. No, I am not kidding. The food and drink were plentiful, the children blissfully playing in the pool or on the jungle gym or on the trampoline. Not to be outdone by anyone, dusk brought with it a full out fireworks display. The 30 minute show was breathtaking and during the performance, S nudges me and we break out in laughter. We can't believe we're here. We can't believe we're part of this crowd. We're convinced there must be some mistake. We're pathetic. We can't linger too long after the fireworks because tomorrow there is a BBQ and on Monday a Birthday party. All hosted by members of this crowd. From the inside I've gained alot of insight. I understand why people who are out will do just about anything to be in this stereotypical elite crowd. The connection and sense of belong is like nothing I've experienced. Its surreal . I keep waiting for the day when I'll do something stupid and free fall from grace. I've also learned that as a teenager I didn't have a snowballs chance in hell of belonging. It mattered then. It doesn't matter now. Maybe, thats the key. We haven't changed. We refuse to change and adapt. We don't blend at all with these folks and I like that just fine. I can enjoy then for who who they are without wanting to be like them
I will not buy and SUV. I will not start getting pedicures and I will not gossip for hours like a hen with tourettes.
All these years later and I finally got my peanut butter squares and aloe plant. I didn't eat the squares and I killed the plant. I never want to morph.
posted by Sandi at 9:39 PM
2 Comments:
Look at you all on the social circuit now.
Soon you'll forget all about us little people.
Like you'd ever let me forget. My roots are firmly in the gutter baby -Laughs-
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