Precious Anonymity: Story Telling Sunday

photo taken in Ithaca, NY

So the other day I was in Price Chopper which is basically our only REAL grocery store here. I was back by the eggs and milk waiting for the store manager to hunt down split peas so I could make some split pea and ham soup with a ham bone. He had headed out back in search of their most recent shipment, so I was making good use of my time by reading e-mail on my phone.

While I was hanging out by the eggs, some big burly dude did a double take at my coat. I wear a huge over sized brown Carhartt type coat in the wintertime with a huge company insignia on the back. It happens to be the warmest thing I own coat wise and due to bitter cold, I was loving it.

Now, I must admit a while ago I wore the coat with pride, but then things got odd where we used to live and the place where I worked invoked controversy, so I opted to not wear something with a logo & company name on it there. Up here 5 hours away where we moved I really don't even get a second look.

However, he was making me real nervous. An egg throwing tree hugger?

See, I work for the Natural Gas Industry. And although we all like to USE energy, it makes better news to complain, fret, and worry about possible impacts vs. actually basing an argument on real scientific fact. They have debated Fracking in my homestate for upwards of 4 and a half years. In fact, for me to have a job in my industry, I have to work over the boarder in Pennsylvania. Thankfully it can be done remotely.

Turned out the dude was just excited because his wife had land in Montana and was having a well drilled on her property.

Drill Rig photo taken in Pennsylvania directly over the border from NY, not Montana, but I imagine it would look similar

I was relieved. I totally did not think I could dodge eggs in winter boots. I felt badly for thinking it was going
to be a bad encounter, but lately I have been reading that a lot of people against fracking are getting nasty. Case in point, write your argument on the side of a house with spray paint. Very classy.

It did remind me though of how much I cherish my anonymity. I used to have to explain drilling, leases, and royalty payments at kid birthday parties down south. These days, I just go and eat cake.

Linking up with Sian's Story Telling Sunday

Hoping Dad will be back next month. This time 'round he is nursing my Mom back to good health.