Hometown Finds You

Life has its interesting surprises.
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For instance, coming home from buying only the essentials at Target (which of course includes Season 2 of Arrested Development) and finding out that the nice cashier didn't charge you for the Little Debbie's that you thought twice about.
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Another more recent example would be oh, say...walking through the Magic Kingdom and hearing "Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome the Gravette, Arkansas High School Marching Band!" Ummm, excuse me?
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A little precursor to this moment would be the equally interesting surprise of accidentally bumping into someone at work that I have never met before who reads The Skinny Tie Report and who recognized me! I was a little unnerved by her level of excitement at meeting someone as geeky as myself, but she was sweet and it was her birthday, so there is a photo of me and a girl in a tiara floating around out there somewhere! Anyway, she ran into some kid that same day who was wearing a Gravette, Arkansas Marching Band t-shirt and was partly giddy because she actually knew where that was!
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Not to be perceived as obtuse, I jumped at the once in a lifetime chance to see the kids from my home town march their way down Main Street U.S.A. I had great visions of shaking their hands and welcoming them to the "Happiest Place On Earth" feeling like I would be perceived as a local boy "done good" making it to a respectable position in the midst of so much wonder and magic. This is what John Mayer must have felt like when he wanted to run through the halls of his high school (and scream at the top of his lungs).
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Of course backstage things weren't all as I had hoped; the parade step-off was late, therefore the band arrived just before the gates opened and most of the kids looked at me as if I were the 50th guy-in-a-tie that they had seen...and I probably was! Needless to say, I found my audience with the flag twirler girls in the back of the formation. They were wide-eyed, red from the Florida sun and just could not believe that I was from Gravette, Arkansas...and that I actually missed it! To which I assured them that life in Northwest Arkansas was precious and truly something to cherish when you consider that the alternative is full of toll roads and palmetto bugs. I also threw in a few bon motts such as "no matter where you go, there you are..." or something irreverent just so they would know they were standing in the presence of greatness. It was about this time that someone I knew from my Magic Kingdom days runs up to me and screams "What's up freeeeak!"
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Aaaah, yes. Some of life's surprises are truly unexpected.