Where everybody knows your name

I've come to learn you can get that "small town feeling" in the heart of a city. I guess that shouldn't surprise me. If anything it kind of scares me.

I've always wanted to return to small town America. But if I can feel small townee in DC, what's the point?

What's really nice about "small town DC," is your worlds don't collide. Aka -- not everyone knows all your business. You can be apart of four different communities and truly be yourself in each one.

Where'd all this come from . . . well, about a month ago we went to Date Night and I was literally two seats away from an old college friend.

When I walk into High school gyms from across the city I'll see a familiar face or hear a security guard shout "Hey, you were at Dunbar last year weren't you?"

For the past couple of years, anytime we walk through the park or go to the nearest pharmacy, I spot someone from our ward. Most the time they don't even second look us, but other times it's one of our favorite little nursery families, and when the child in the stroller finally looks up to see who their parents are chatting with they smile, point, and say "nursery teacher." I really love our neighborhood.

The big moment though, that made me write this post, came last night in a middle school auditorium. Some of my students starred in Aladin, so I had to make an appearance. I was surrounded by coworkers I enjoy, students I love, parents full of high praise, and neighborhood families too young to actually have a student in the play -- just their for a fun/cheap night out with the kiddos. Everyone cheered, even when the singing was too far off key. The whole audience laughed when one of my favorite 13-year-olds flaunted the top 1/4 of his innocent chest. The performers giggled right on stage when they missed a dance step, and the crowd loved their lack of sophistication.

The best part, when I walked out to my car I spotted a dozen stars lighting up the early evening sky. The view didn't hold the magic of the West Desert sky, but the feeling of the evening definitely did.