Friday, November 21, 2008

Friends and Faces


One of the things I love about living in a small town like Solvang is that no matter where or when I go out, I'm always bound to run into someone I know. It's like living among friends. Of course, my husband probably has a completely different opinion on this.

Last night we went to my son's favorite restaurant to celebrate his birthday. We ran into Emily, a student who helped on my yearbook staff last year. Sweet, funny and extremely talented, I enjoyed catching up with her (she graduated in June so I don't see her at school anymore).

As soon as we sat down, a teacher from my children's preschool came up to say 'hi' and commented on how much they had grown. Once she was out of earshot, my son turned to me and said, "Who was that?"

I stared at him, shocked. He used to like this teacher. "That was Veronica."

My daughter chimed in with her two cents. "She taught at preschool! Don't you remember, Drew?"

My husband shrugged and smiled at my son. "That's okay, Drew. I had no idea who that was either!"

And so, to quote Carrie Bradshaw here, I just had to wonder. Do women make better connections with people? Is my family unique or is this a male/female thing?

13 comments:

Carrie Harris said...

What a cute little town!

And I'm not so sure. In our neck of the woods, hubby is more likely to see people he knows from the hospital. I know fewer people, although I remember the names of parents down the street and he doesn't.

Confusing, ain't it?

Sherrie Petersen said...

Okay, so I'm wrong about the gender thing! Maybe it has more to do with who you see more often...

Plot Whisperer said...

I remember as a kid being so surprised seeing a teacher in the grocery store -- I just couldn't connect that she could be anywhere other than the classroom. Wonder if that was what your son was reacting to????

Great blog!

Corey Schwartz said...

Ha! I definitely think its a gender thing. My dad could never remember my friends names, and now... neither can my husband! I don't expect my three year old son to fare much better :)

P.S. My brother has been known to say "nice to meet you" to a person he has met at least a half a dozen times!

Sherrie Petersen said...

Martha, I know what you mean about seeing people out of context. That can throw me sometimes, too. Glad you like the blog!

Corey, my husband and my brother do the same thing! It's so embarrassing!

Kelly Polark said...

Solvang is so picturesque!
I'm not sure about the gender thing...but I do think that women do make more personal connections than men in general. My memory is AWFUL though!

Sherrie Petersen said...

We do have a picturesque town, Kelly. I love Solvang. And I have to say, having personally experienced placenta brain, my memory is nothing to brag about either!

Suzanne Casamento said...

Good question Sherrie. I think it may be more about the individual than the gender. For example, my brother is a high school football coach and going to the supermarket with him is a wacky experience. We can't get through an aisle without someone yelling, "Hey Coach!"

Kids want to bump fists. Parents want to get more game time for their kids. The whole trip feels like I'm purchasing produce with a rock star.

The thing is, he's good at it. He stops and chats with each of them. He has that people thing. It's pretty cool.

I guess some people are into it and some people aren't...

Sarah Laurenson said...

Solvang is gorgeous. We have got to get up that way soon.

My wife knows everybody. Me? I had to learn to remember names and faces and I don't always do a good job of it.

Kim Baise said...

Funny!!! I LOVE Solvang. We always have our family reunions there and shop, shop, shop and eat eat, eat! I love the toy store!
Okay, I don't think it's a gender thing. My husband remembers names and I don't. I'm visually inclined and can remember faces (if I want to) and my husband is more audio inclined and remembers names easily.
I agree with the Plot Whisperer,Maybe your son blanked out when he saw his teacher. It can be scary seeing your teacher outside of school!

Sherrie Petersen said...

Well, I guess it all depends on the individual, regardless of gender!

Suzanne, your brother must be good at what he does to get all that love -- that's awesome!

Sarah and Kim, look me up next time you're in the Solvang area (my last name is Petersen). I'm in the phone book and I'd love to meet some of my virtual friends!

Anonymous said...

Oh, I miss Solvang! We took many family day trips there to eat at Andersen's Pea Soup Restaurant!

Sherrie Petersen said...

Jone, Andersen's makes GREAT pea soup! It's a funny claim to fame, huh?

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