Sunday, January 6, 2013

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.


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

21 comments:

  1. I'm so glad to hear that you didn't have to bring out your full on mad skill Matrix moves in the middle of store. I hear quite a bit about Fracking from people I know that live in Arkansas, both sides of the agenda can give an ear full.
    I'm just happy there wasn't a clean up on aisle 4 and did you ever get that cake? ;)
    Tell Mom and Dad hello and I'm still in their corner cheering her on to a speedy and full recovery!
    P.s. I can't quite decide. Would "I got your Fiscal Cliff right here" look better in Vibrant Red or Robin's Egg Blue on the side of my white house?? ;)

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  2. Great story, and you had me worried there for a minute thinking that the coat was not a good wardrobe choice that day. So glad to know that this encounter turned out to be a positive one. :o)

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  3. Nice building of suspense in your story. Happy 2013. Cheers from Bordeaux, France

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  4. Nice building of suspense in your story. Happy 2013. Cheers from Bordeaux, France

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  5. Great story, I thought something untoward was about to happen to you. I love your writing style, it kind of sings. x

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  6. Great story - I was on the edge of my seat - so glad nothing nasty happened. Thanks for sharing. J xx

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  7. Glad it was a 'close encounter' of the good kind!

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  8. Wishing your Mum and Dad all the very best - I love your story, but do tell him he was missed :)

    Fracking is a hot topic round here at the minute: all over the news. It's good to hear another side and remind ourselves what it feels like to be on a different side of the argument.

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  9. Good cliff hanger moment in there...we have coal peeps trying to dig up a valley where Rich Peeps live atm. Wonder who's gonna win that one???!!!! How IS your Mum? Hope she's getting on top of it...if she's not feeling better, just pester those Docs til something gets done...hope she IS on the mend:):):)

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  10. Great story, I thought you were going to end up covered in eggs! :)

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  11. Fab story. And that last line made me smile:)

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  12. You tell such a great story Mitra, I was in suspense all through and then ended up with a huge grin at the end. Thank you for sharing your precious moment.

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  13. Love your writing style, and your story. I live in Pennsylvania and know that fracking brings much needed work to this area. Happy your encounter was non-violent.

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  14. Glad you had a good non egg splattering encounter. Fracking is in the news everywhere at the moment.

    Hope you stay warm, you could always come and stay with us over January, looks like it's going to be one of the hottest on record... xxx

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  15. Hope your mom is doing better, Mitra. Your stories are enthralling, to say the least!
    Have a great week :)

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  16. I also have a coat with a logo that raises uncomfortable questions sometimes. I love the coat, but wish there was a way to remove the logo!

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  17. Hummm Yes fracking is a hot topic with the farmers on the downs... still not sure what I think of it.. if we wreck our environment it is a bit hard to get it back!!

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  18. You wrote the build up to that story so well. I had to keep reading just to see what happened! Definitely a hot topic :-)

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  19. So glad your encounter turned out well.
    many thanks for sharing x

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  20. I've heard a bit about fracking too. I have one friend who is vehemently apposed to it. So much so that she told another friend that if they did any fracking around her home, they's be able to set the water coming out of the faucet on fire. I'm not familiar enough with it to have an opinion either way.

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  21. Oh yes we have drilling and energy industry friends, interesting hearing them talking to our banking friends... They all think I'm weird working for a church ;) Glad that nothing happened but I can believe that it is the warmest coat you own.

    Hope your parents are o.k. - and that your Dad joins us again.

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