Big Pumpkins, Little World

We went pumpkin patching at Roloff's farm, very near our house. Yes, THE ROLOFFS of Little People Big World fame. It was a cool experience because we saw pretty much everyone in the family at some point and I am all for a star-sighting. At the same time, it felt kind of voyeuristic. I mean these people are just PEOPLE, and though I was guilty of wanting to see them, everyone there was snapping pictures, uttering phrases like, "I just saw Zach driving the tractor" and the pumpkins were all just laying there going, "Uh, hello people, didn't you come to get US?" As we were leaving we stopped so Amy, driving her youngest son in their minivan, could leave their driveway, but she just sat, almost in a daze, watching the line of cars leaving the patch. Though we actually shared a smile, I'm sure her expression before that was almost one of regret, that they'd allowed this world in, and that though they were profitting from it, it had compromised something gone from their former lives.