Big world, small world

We live in a small town now where everyone knows each other.  People move away for college and come right back to raise their families. I understand why, it is absolutely beautiful here.  Slower pace of life, amazing beaches, trees, baby calves everywhere.....they are sooooooo cute.   It would be a hard place to leave behind forever.

Here the world is small in a way. It makes sense that everyone knows everyone else.  But we have not been small towners for long so I am used to walking down the street and not recognizing a face coming from a big town.  We just went back to the "big city" last weekend and Chris commented that even though he spent his entire life there before coming here he didn't not recognize a soul.  It really made us appreciate the small town life.

Of course the world is a lot smaller now with the over abundance of social networking.  I am not a big Facebooker but I will dabble on occasion when a notification comes to my email.  This week my email contained high facebook notification traffic.  While on there I see a conversation between my dearest friend from highschool.....LOVE YOU! and another friend from highschool who was way too much of a hoot!!!   Simple enough but then somewhere in there the woman I am closest to in this entire world, my 'wife' if you ask my husband.....although I think I am the more girly girly girl of the two of us ;) but I did 'catch' her baby so I will take the role of 'husband'.....is responding as well in a comfortable way, obviously knowing these people.   I introduced 'wife' to dearest highschool friend a couple of years ago and know they have chatted on facebook a couple times but where the other connection came in confounded me.  Although I could see how they would just become fast and funny friends, they are both crazy.  Apparently they worked together for a short time this summer but hit it off right away.  It is just interesting that people you care for in separate lives can come together in friendship in a place where you can live for 30 years and not know a face during a walk through the mall.

I am sure we all have a few 'hey how do you know that person' stories. They are nice way to remind us that we really are so connected in this big world.  It is a nice feeling for someone who has been transplanted what can seem like a light year away from family and friends.