Which only peripherally has to do with today's "why I love it here" moment.
After doing some inside work this morning, I decided to enjoy the sunny -- if slightly humid -- outdoors for a few minutes. I had walked down to the end of the block and partway down Main Street when the mail carrier drove up and stopped. She said "I have a package for you, and you have to sign for it...here's the card, sign here and here, and I'll drop it off up at the house when I get there."
Imagine that. I've been here a shade less than two months, and the mail carrier knows me, knows my name, knows where I live.... Anyone who has lived the majority of their life in big, anonymous and relatively soulless places where one is lucky to learn a few names in their immediate vicinity -- and Los Angeles is sure as hell one of those -- will understand why I find this wonderful.
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| They DO??? |
Oh, I've been learning names, too. Among them are Tim, Tom (the town's former police chief, by the way), Mary and Elizabeth and John, Arnold, Pete, Bill and Andi, Bruce, Bruce, and Dora and Eli. The latter two are dogs....
Now, all I have to do is learn the mail carrier's name.
This small-town living takes some work, Jim.
5 comments:
Yes, the blind drive...that's why they put those little nubbly things on the steering wheel...in braille it says 'horn'. Not to mention the 'cat's eyes' on the center line so they can hear when they're crossing it.
My favorite small town story is stopping at the pharmacy to get more behind the counter cold medicine, only to be told my husband had already been there so I didn't need to buy more... Before long you might even get to buy one of those "Local" stickers... ;-)
Years ago, when I still did such things, I wanted to cash a check to get some cash. I was visiting my grandmother in her small N. Wisconsin town that had no stoplights. I asked at the bank if I could cash an out of state check. Before I could even show ID, the teller said, "Oh sure, honey. You're Helen's granddaughter."
I actually know the name of my mail carrier, and I live in the 5th largest city in the US. The amazing part is, he knows MY name and when we see each other, we usually get into a short chit chat about nothing in particular. One of the very few "smaller town" charms that I have living in what otherwise is a giant hell-hole.
I see a list of "links to this post", below. What is that?
I'm sorry I couldn't get that far on this trip. It sounds like my kind of place. I definitely prefer more relaxed, human places. I am not sorry, however, that you landed there and like it. To me, that is how a place should be.
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