Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Norm Schulz

You'll notice to the left I've started a new label called "Only In A Small Town". This is a place to file all the things which have happened to us since we moved here that have made us say just that. And I mean this in a positive way. I only hope I can remember everything from the beginning because I'm sure we're already taking some of them for granted.

So here is my latest......Today I was trying to call Union Title. A man answered what was obviously a cell phone so the conversation went something like this, "Hello?". I say, "Oh, I'm sorry, I must have the wrong number". He says,"Well who are ya tryin' to call?". I say, "Union Title in Seward". He says, "Oh, well let's see, I think they have a new number now". I say, "Mmmn, they left me a message today and this is the number they gave me". He says, "No, I'm pretty sure they have a new number....hold on here, I think I have it". (as I'm fighting the urge to just hang up the phone, I look it up in my own phone book and realize I did mis-dial by one digit).....so I say, "Oh, I see here in my phone book, I did mis-dial by one number." He doesn't hear me say this because he's off looking for the number! Finally he returns with the number and I interrupt him and say, "Ah, ya know sir, I'm sorry, I looked it up and I did mis-dial by one digit. I'm so sorry to bother you". As I'm about to hang up again, he says, "Oh that's OK, this is Norm Shultz and I'm just out here at the lake.....it's no problem at all!". So trying not to laugh out loud, I say, "Thank you sir, you have a good night"! I'm not sure I know Norm Shultz, but he sure sounded like he knew me!

You see, when I dialed a wrong number back in Ohio I would usually say, "I'm sorry, I have the wrong number" and just hang up the phone. But you can't do that in a small town because #1-everyone has caller ID now and #2-there is a high likelihood that you'll eventually run into Norm Shultz in church on Sunday! :>)