I know a homeschooler...

Something strange occurred to me last night, as I went through the bedtime routine of talking instead of sleeping (my poor husband).

We went to the dreaded mall to get my wedding ring fixed. I think I wore it for a year before the solder holding the engagement ring-part to the wedding band-part broke. I tried wearing them together, but the separate rings tended to pinch, which sucks. I wore just the engagement ring for a while, until the bottom became bent because it was so thin without the support of the wedding band. The whole set has lived in a jar for the last 5 years or so. We stopped by the store where the ring was purchased, only to be talked down to by the bitchy saleslady. "Well, you could have the band replaced, but gold is expensive now and I don't think you would want to do that." The next jewelry store had some decent people in it, and we left my ring for repair.

While B.S.'ing with the store manager, he asked my kids about school. I held my breath as the kids said they were homeschooled. You never know if you'll get a nice answer or an, ".. Oh." The guy smiled, turned to me, and began telling me about guy who used to work there whose wife homeschools their 7-year-old twins. "The nicest, well-behaved kids you could imagine," he said.

So while lying in bed last night, I realized how common a response this is. Why do people feel the need to tell you about someone else they know who homeschools? And then, always, the attitude or general behavior of the aforementioned homeschooled children? Are they trying to make me "feel better" about homeschooling? As if I'm afraid to tell people I homeschool because its so weird and shameful? My husband's last irritated mumble before he rolled over was, "Maybe they're just trying to make themselves more comfortable with it."

On a side note, I'm wondering why every stranger I ever meet knows someone who homeschools, yet I don't personally know anyone who does. Except the Evil Sister-In-Law, but who's counting her?