Clearly Jersey City wasn't far enough.

When you come from a small town, no matter how far away you move, you can never escape it.

I was home last weekend and ended up going bowling with a bunch of friends from high school. It was a strange array of people that included a bunch of my friends, their significant others, and a bunch of their siblings, mine included. My friend Mike was there with his new girlfriend. I arrived late and ended up at a lane with the people I brought, my brother, sister-in-law, and her brother, farthest away from Mike and his gf. The actual bowling has nothing to do with this story except to include the fact that we ended up closing the bowling alley and were still finishing up our last game when the house lights came on and my brother was up and totally fell on his ass mid-bowl and the guy gets on the little loudspeaker to announce "man down, man down!" and it was by far the funniest thing ever. Also of note is the fact that prior to arriving at the bowling alley I suggested guys vs. girls and Craig made a nice comment about how that wouldn't be fair to Jill and I as we would get our asses kicked. The first game in Jill and I collectively beat Anthony and Craig by about a 40 point margin. It was beautiful! And we can just ignore those second two games where I got my ass handed to me.

Anyway, the following day my aunt is asking about the bowling and who all was there. I mentioned Mike and his girlfriend and my aunt asked me about her since we live in a small town and everyone knows everyone and everyone's business. So I tell her that I didn't really get to meet her and I jokingly make note of the fact that Mike didn't even introduce us.

So today I get a text message from Mike informing me that he just got yelled at by his mom because my aunt told her that he didn't introduce me to his girlfriend.

Not small town enough for you? The other people bowling? Five were people I went to high school with. One was the little brother of one of the girls I graduated with who happens to be friends with the little brother of another girl that was there that night. Mike's brother was also there. He had gone to high school with my brother and his wife, also in attendance, and had just bought and is now living in my aunt's house which happens to be two houses away from the house I grew up in which happens to be next door to the girl and little brother (the one not in attendance) mentioned above.

"Well I was born in a small town and I live in a small town. Probably die in a small town. Oh, those small communities."