Have you ever met someone who knows you, and you probably should know them because you are Facebook friends? I do this more and more these days. Someone about whom I know a little, but who I know visually only through a profile picture the size of a postage stamp. The profile picture is often “dated” that is…you don’t really look like a skinny 12 year old on skis, or batman or a golden retriever anymore (lol).

I am easy to pick out of a crowd because I am big, my hair is long and I have a big beard and if I’m in a good mood, a big personality (in a bad mood I’m a sarcastic SOB). I am easier to tag than a Cardinal in a murder of crows. As a performer and a teacher, I am outnumbered by people who know what I look like better than I know what they look like. I recently had a young man come up to me and refer to me as Mr. Hanchet. He had been a student of mine 18 years ago WHEN HE WAS IN GRADE 2!!!!! Hadn’t changed a bit…..lol.

I am about to have this experience of disadvantage “in spades”. For the next 4 days this boy is going to be hanging with the “folk police” at the Folk Alliance International conference which happens to be in Montreal this year. I really hope there are name tags….. Please introduce yourself to me!

It is starting on a day where we just got a dump of enough snow to cancel school (YAY…for the safety of the kids…for sure ;)…not like we teachers need a rest…)