Hiding in Plain Sight

Every now and then, I find myself caught up in a bit of personal insanity that goes like this:  "I've worked with these people for many, many years.  They've seen me work, and they've heard me talk about Tom and T as my neighbors and good friends who I've helped in various ways, and who have been there for me plenty of times.  Surely, as people see us together, at events through the years, they come to understand who we are really.  Maybe some of the more open minded ones could be let in on the secret -- and we could be friends, and not just colleagues..."

That little bit of fantasy came crashing to earth at lunch on Friday.

Our gaggle of junior high teachers gathers for lunch in the art room.  It is a big, bright space with enough room for all of us to gather around the table, and enough privacy for us to chat without fearing that we'll be overheard.  The conversation is wide-ranging, and I am often surprised by the opinions expressed by all these lifelong Catholics.  These are interesting people from the art teacher to the language arts guy to the technology guru to the curmudgeon that teaches social studies.  I enjoy the conversations.

One young fellow, who is a long-term substitute teaching the upper level English and reading classes, has a side business as a wedding photographer.  On Friday, he told us about meeting with a potential client to discuss her wedding.  He told us that he thought she was in her early 30's, a little heavyset...  He met her at a local Panera to discuss the plans and what she wanted in terms of photos.  When he arrived, she was sitting with an "older couple" in their 50's, and he assumed they were her parents.  They talked about the ceremony (pagan), and the location, and the time, and other assorted details.  After some time, the young woman, looked at him and said, "You do know that the three of us are getting married, right?"

Around the table, there were gasps of shock and horror.  I think the word I heard was "creepy!"  As if in a single voice, my colleagues declared that the multiple marriage thing was unthinkable, even though they all declared that they consider themselves to be "open minded."  And then the conversation turned, of course, to whether or not anyone has read "Fifty Shades of Grey."

Me?  I studied the contours of my ham sandwich, peeled my orange, and pried open my yogurt container.  Eat.  Breathe.  Try not to look at anyone.  Keep on hiding in plain sight...

swan