Life under a microscope

My friend and 'honorary mother', Jack, has been bugging me about why I haven't been posting on the blog. He notices EVERYTHING.

I've been ruminating about why I'm feeling blog-shy these days. The short answer: living under a microscope.

On the one hand, there are lots of wonderful things about living in a small-town-sized capital city: the community events, the pace of life, the interesting people, a wonderful live music scene, vibrant local arts scene ... and ... I could go on ...

BUT on the other hand: in the end, its a small town. With a lot of government workers, including people I work with. I freaked out last fall at a meeting when the casual pre-meeting chit chat with three people from other departments (including two not even located in Iqaluit) included all three of them commenting on my recent blog posts. Its a bit weird to have that level of scrutiny.

Now, I grew up in a small prairie town, so this "everyone knows everyone else's life dramas" is not unfamiliar to me. And it makes me itch.

BUT, on the OTHER other hand, I just gotta get over it.

On the one hand ... on the other hand ... on the other other hand .... Just like in Fiddler on the Roof. Which, coincidentally, is (in part) about a small village dealing with changes and the life dramas that everyone knows about. OK, OK, so there is a little pogrom and community relocation thrown in the Fiddler story too.

And, coincidentally, Fiddler is the musical that John and I just played in the pit band for. A real-live small town community musical, done with fervour and fun (and man oh man it was a lot of work. And did I mention, fun?). It was just one of those things I love about living in this small-town capital city ...

Here is John's story about it:
http://www.nunatsiaq.com/archives/2009/902/90220/news/features/90220_1924.html