Yesterday was a poor-pity-me day.  I kept wondering why I moved to Edmond.  It’s been four plus years and I have not broken very many walls of indifference yet.

Of course, in Pryor everyone knew my family “The Swans,” or Ken’s family “The Jacks.”  When you walked into a store or church or ball game, every one greeted you, said “How are you doing,” or something similar.  I had taught dozens of people in the church.  Everyone knew me.

Not here.  Nobody knows me.  You don’t know how important that is until you don’t have it.  You become an instant nobody.  Years of building a reputation go down the drain and you have to start all over.  And that is very, very hard when you are older.

You aren’t raising children so you don’t interface with other parents whose kids are playing soccer, football, or baseball.  Drama, choir, church, or anything else.  You have no common denominator to connect.

I learned everyone’s name in the department at my church.  Very few learned mine.  You really have to work at it and there doesn’t seem to be any reason for some people to do that.  They are just trying to hang in there themselves--ailments are all they can deal with.

But I have a new BFF.  Jeanette.  To go along with all my Pryor BFF’s.  It gives me hope.