I took a drive down…memory lane…yesterday…stopping at the local coffee shop…well…in all honesty…it wasn’t a real coffee shop…it was…The Drug Shop…with a rather unassuming dinette set in the front corner next to the counter…there was a nearby cabinet…sporting a coffee pot…powdered creamer…sugar…cups…and a kitty for contributions…
And…on any given morning…it was surrounded by the local businessmen…
I’m not sure the coffee was the draw…although…I’m certain it was consumed…but…this table was where…news was shared…business was conducted…off the cuff…with…a…what do you think about this…partnerships were formed…tales were told…often growing to mammoth proportions…family pictures were viewed…bragging rights established…weddings and births were celebrated…and passings mourned…
My step-father was a regular there…for many years…and…funny…I don’t remember him drinking much coffee at home…but…I never thought the…Folgers…was the reason he went…in the first place…
I don’t know how he started to go there…but…as a newcomer to this small town…it was his way of fitting in…making friends…establishing himself as a person…as a businessman…
And…I thought…or…Bertha…pointed out…that this scene isn’t so different from
today’s social media…all the same functions are still in place…they are just done…virtually…with a cuppa…sitting by a computer…or…on a phone or other mobile device…
Personally…I love social media…love connecting with friends from years past…seeing pictures of grandbabies I will never meet…love knowing what my local peeps are up to…and adore making new friends from all over the world…
With my job…there is no way…that I could go to the local spot for a chat…the Coffee Shop worked then…Facebook and Twitter…work now…I have no complaints…I’m not arguing either for or against the…good ole…or…newfangled…days…I think they each have their purpose…as…Bertha…reminds me…we all want the same things…to be loved…to be heard…to be understood…
I suppose life before social media…was pretty much the same as it is today…social…
Jane
I couldn’t agree more, Jane, I’m such a fan of “social networking”, making friends with new people all over the planet and re-finding old friends from the past, all without having to leave the comfort of my chair.
Joy…I love it…I have made so many delightful friends…including you! Thanks for visiting and sharing your cuppa with me!
LOve this, Jane! When I was a newspaper correspondent, my editor advised me to hang out at coffee shops…pre-Starbucks…to get an idea for stories. I found lots of feature stories through careful eavesdropping. It was fun. Starbucks isn’t as much fun…everybody is too cool and angst filled.
Peggy
Peggy…that sounds like a lot of fun! I know the politicans hung out there as well…had to keep a finger on the pulse of the community. And…that’s what we do here…just keep in touch! Have a wonderful day.
Social media can be fun but I also enjoy having a hot cup of tea with friends 🙂 Come for a cup any time my friend!
I would love to share a cup of tea with you! I actually have 3 very good online friends right in your area…who knows I may show up for a visit one day…I would love to actually get to meet you!