Sunday, March 4, 2018

Word's Gonna Get Around

There have been a few times since graduating high school that I realized every grandma, in law, and ex-girlfriend had noticed my pictures in the newspaper, but there is one that stands out more than others. In my small town most of my teachers either grew up in Eldon or married someone who had lived there. Very few outsiders end up there, although there are a few. The outsider that comes to my mind first is Dr. C.J. Huff. (Some of you might know him, because he was the Superintendent of Joplin Schools, most notably during the Joplin Tornado.)

While I don't remember where he grew up, I know he didn't have any connections to Eldon when he became our Superintendent. I was a Freshman in high school when he started. He stayed 3 years and transferred to Joplin Schools after my Junior year. Throughout college, I worked for the Y After School Program at West Central Elementary. However, Joplin, both the town and school, is big enough I had never bumped into Dr. Huff. That is until this past summer.

Brittany (Cox) and I were eating lunch at Panera Bread when Dr. Huff sat down at the table next to ours. Being an introvert, I highly debated saying anything. I doubted he remembered me nor would he recognize me. I was working up the nerve to say hi, when much to my surprise he was saying hello to me. With a puzzled look, he asked, "Are you from Eldon?" His follow up statement to my confirmation, "You were an FFA officer and on the Parli team." If only I had a picture of the face I made when he said that. I'm sure it was an 80% surprised and 20% flattered expression. (To my recollection, I didn't have any personal experiences with him in Eldon, so I was shocked he knew about my high school days, let alone recognized me 8 years later.) We chatted briefly and went on with our lives.

I didn't think much more about it until I talked to my mom a few days later. She and my dad had been talking to Matt Davis, Eldon's Superintendent since C.J. left. Mr. Davis told my parents he had received a text earlier in the week from C.J. Huff. He was excited to run into a former Eldon student and wanted to let Matt know. By then, my facial expression was 95% surprised, yet still 5% flattered.

Eight years after leaving Eldon, I wasn't expecting word of my day-to-day life to get around to my parents. Especially since it wasn't happening in Eldon! Luckily, just like in high school, the only news they got was what I had for lunch that day. (Whoa! Scandal!) Mostly I laughed, because I felt as though Miranda Lambert's song had come full circle for me. However, I think I'd do a little editing to the end of the chorus, "Whether you're late for church or you're stuck in jail [or eating at Panera Bread], hey, word's gonna get around. Everybody dies famous in a small town."

6 comments:

  1. So true. Love the FFA tie. I was very active in my small town FFA also:)

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  2. I'm went to high school in a small town and this stuff happens to me all the time. Sometimes good and sometimes bad. My dad made the news a few years ago, and that was a nightmare, but when my mom had a heart attack it was super awesome all the messages I got. Pluses and minuses.

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  3. I did FHA in our small town, and 4-H, worked in the local fast food joint, band, sports, piano lessons, you know...the works!!! I love your stories about Eldon!

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  4. It always throws me for a loop when people remember me (and I don't see them everyday). Once Gerald Griffin from OCC was at my hometown church (WAY out in the backwood) doing a revival. My grandmother (who writes to me about once a month) wrote to say, "Mr. Griffin came up to me on the last night of the revival and said, 'I hear people calling you Grandma Koch. You aren't by chance Laura Koch's grandma?' Then he wanted to take a picture with me." I got a facebook message a few days later from Proff. Griff of him hugging my grandma with the tag line, "I got to meet a very special lady." I haven't seen Griff in person since college, oh so many moons ago! Whoa. While I remember faces, I'm REALLY bad with names! I don't think I could ever be that cool!

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  5. You will wig out students in the future in the same way. How exciting it will be for the roles to be reversed!

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