working

Do you work here? That was the questioned asked to me at the Parent Teacher Conference last Thursday. I was standing in the hall outside of Tori's class. Another couple I had never seen before were in front of me in line, something that is really rare in our small town. The wife, husband and son had the only three chairs so I was standing across from them. One person walked by looking for Mrs Shelby's classroom and directed them to it, three people I knew walked by headed to classes but stopping to talk a few minutes. During a lull the husband/father/man asked "Do you work here?" I smiled and said no. He asked who my child was and I replied "Victoria". He waited a minute and said "Victoria Smotherman?" I almost laughed thinking her reputation had preceded her when I realized it was written on a train out side the classroom with the names of the other students. He (again pretty sure they are new to Savannah) asked how many children I had at Parris South. I told him I had 4 and immediately he began to say things like "Good grief!", "I am guessing you don't work outside the home with that many?" "I'm sure they keep you busy!" All the while me assuring him I did not work outside the home and I was busy. I have always enjoyed my anonymous moments. When you live in a small town everyone (well...obviously not everyone) knows you, no matter who you are. Rarely do I find people at school I do not know. I am really terrible with names, but faces I do remember. I stood with another friend later that evening talking about our kids and how fast they grow. She has a "grown" child and two more still in elementary school. It seems pretty unreal when you think about it...next year I will only have 2 in elementary school and then next year? There will be only one. SO fast they seem to be racing through life.

It makes me a little sad to be leaving elementary school behind. I've had a child in elementary school since 1992 (that's SEVENTEEN years). I will have been in elementary school for 20 years when my last child leaves for middle school. I wonder if I can draw retirement for that? I may not be employed by the school but I sure have worked with them a very long time:)