Tell Me What You Really Think Installment I

"Phoenix is a big city"

The first time I heard this was in preparation for a job interview about 7 months ago. So let me give you a little background on myself before I get into why this phrase is interesting. Before I turned 18 my parents managed to move my brother and I 27 times. Not always to a new city, but certainly lots of different houses with a few international countries thrown in. Suffice it to say my first memory is of sleeping on an airplane. My parents always taught my brother and I to be independent, well educated, open minded people. And while I can't say much for my brother (see Family - The hits just keep on comin') I took a lot of these ideals to heart growing up especially the independent part.

I have fond memories of puking in the middle of LAX at age 5, mistakenly asking for dr. pepper in downtown Boston at age 16 (they don't serve Dr. Pepper in Boston, well atleast they didn't back then nothing screams Texan I found out btw as much as Dr. Pepper does), puking again in the streets of Juarez, Mexico at age 17 (thank you Mexico for starting my love affair with Tequila), realizing what a real block was when I was 20 walking the streets of New York City (who measures these things I ask?), watching a tree snake fall heavily out of a tree as it missed it's next meal (me at age 4) in Singapore, having my hands nearly gouged by pigeons at age 6 in Tokyo (you're suppose to THROW the seeds out not hold them...duh!), nearly being arrested in Rome for riding the bus without a ticket (hey the nuns get away with it why not me?), sleeping in London's Gatwick airport, because well we were too cheap to get a hotel. So suffice it to say I've been to some damn big cities...alone...or nearly alone, and somehow managed to come out alive....still. Amazed aren't you? Yea I thought so.

Anyway, so back to this job interview. At the time I was living in Dallas, yet another fairly large city in case you weren't aware. The gentleman (I shouldn't even be so nice) whom requested to interview me called me a few days before I was suppose to fly out to Phoenix to meet him. We were going over details of the interview and what would be involved as far as travel arrangements ectera. As we get to the end of the conversation (because apparently I always sound so helpless *rolling my eyes*) the man says to me "Now you think you're going to be able to find everything alright here?" Of which I reply, "oh yes yes, I think I'll be fine, I look forward to seeing you." Of which he responds with "Are you sure because you know Phoenix is a big city!"

PHOENIX IS A BIG CITY? Are you kidding me? I mean seriously. PHOENIX?

No I hate to break it to you, but PHOENIX is not a big city. Los Angelos is a big city. New York is a big city. Chicago is a big city. Dallas is a big city. San Francisco is a big city. Houston is a big city. PHOENIX IS NOT A BIG CITY. Actually the only thing big about phoenix are the capital letters I've already used to say it's not a BIG CITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Needless to say this has become an inside joke for me and my friends. Every once in a while I like to catch them off guard by saying...well ya know phoenix is a big city after all.....

If only Darwin's theories had more application...I swear....