Oh so very city

The other morning I was reminded anew of just how much city has been ingrained in me. I was driving to see a friend- on a long, straight, gravel country road. There were no houses to be seen in either direction, just some rolling hills and a few grain storage bins.

As I rounded the top of a small hill, I noticed a large pickup parked on the side of the road. Odd, I thought to myself, but quickly dismissed it, probably just a farmer checking on his field- taking soil samples or something.

Before too long, I came upon two men in orange vests, and a pair of dogs. A short barrage of possibilities ran through my mind- A search party? Did someone lose something? Inmates doing road cleanup? Would inmates have dogs?

And then, nearly passing the two men, I notice they each have a gun. My heart stops and for a minute I almost duck, expecting bullets to come flying through my rear window. They aren't inmates! They've excaped already! Surely they were waiting for some unsuspecting soul to drive this way to hijack their car!

But before I look too crazy, my new country-brain catches up with my old-city brain and I realize they are just hunters, out for pheasant season. I soothe myelf with the reminder that guns are OK when held by people hunting game...they aren't going to just shoot whatever comes across their path. One of the hunters waves at me, and I smile as if I see strange unkempt men with guns and dogs walking down the side of the road all the time- doesn't bother me a bit, really.

Oh the adjustments one must make...