Little Cafe in The Little Town

Sam and I had lunch today at one of our local eating establishments in the Little Town. It is locally owned and operated and the owner always makes it a point to come out and say "thank you for your business". For me, eating out isn't so much about having someone else cook and clean (that is a plus) as it is about bumping into people you don't see very often. And there isn't any great concern if the waitress doesn't get to your table within 10 seconds of you sitting down. The laid back atmosphere is part of the dining-out experience in the Little Town.

Most folks around here are sincere when they ask, "How are you doing?" And most folks will honestly listen to the answer. People ask about your families, comment on the weather and plans are made to get together in the near future for a cup of coffee.

Go to any one of our local restaurants to learn the latest scoop in the Little Town. Pull up a chair, order a cup of coffee and keep an ear open to the conversations going on around you. Sometimes you learn more than what you wanted to learn. Sometimes the gossip gets so twisted around that you leave more confused than when you sat down in your chair. The rumor mill is never idle in the Little Town. Mama always said, "Don't believe everything you hear and only half of what you see."

It could be several weeks before I bump into the same folks I saw today. We left with the parting words of "don't be a stranger" as we settled our tab with the cashier. And she was sincere when she said it.