Nepotism

Without exception, everyone (people on planes, people at church, people at Michael's work) I have talked to has told me that you can't get a teaching job here in the Wilkes-Barre area unless your uncle is on the school board. (Does it help that my grandfather was president of the Forty Fort School Board in 1936?) So I was reading some books on the area and one of them as much as said the same thing. It seems that in this valley being a school teacher is a high paying job (who knew?) and the four-year colleges around here crank out more teachers than they can use. So guess who gets to be a teacher? Cousin Matilda.

I'm not sure I want to look for a teaching position here so I may never find out if this is true. But it's weird knowing that I might not be able to get one if I want one. Even being a certified ESL teacher isn't going to help as there are few immigrants coming into the area. (No jobs!) And I'm sure not joining a union to be a teacher. Getting a job in Texas would be so easy!

You get used to D/FW and its phenomenal growth. Denton ISD is building two new elementaries every year, a new middle every year and a new high school every four years. Here they get really, really excited if someone opens a new restaurant. And you can't find a new house to buy because they can't sell the older ones already on the market. It's a mind shift for sure.

I've just finished two histories of this region. These poor people. It's like reading about the ten plagues of Egypt. Famine, flood and pestilence. And yet, everyone we've met has been so upbeat, kind and helpful. Very resilient people.

The family names around here are over the top! I love them so much even though I can't pronounce them. Some of the big immigrant groups after the Welsh, English and Irish were the Italians, Poles and Slovaks. My two favorite names so far: A lawyer named Limongelli and the County Recorder of Deeds named Mary Dysleski. Not kidding!