Gathering Place

There is something comforting about living in a small community for a long time.  You get to really know your neighbors, you get to do business with trustworthy business people, and you feel a sense of security and safety (at least, hopefully, most of the time).  I had such an experience of the joys of small-town life last Saturday when my friends Judy and Deri and I gathered for a cup of tea at the Coffee Bean Connection. Every time one of us looked up from our conversation, we were smiling, waving and saying hello to someone who had walked in the door.  It reminded me of the old television show, "Cheers," featuring the theme song about how "everybody knows your name."  I can't imagine living in a large city where no one would know my name, where I didn't have a long history with other residents, and where I didn't know business people (or their parents or their children).  I just don't have that point of reference because I've lived in this small town for most of my life.  I left the coffee shop today, not only warmed by the hot chamomile tea but also by the feeling of the connection with a community and its people who mean so much to me.