People who have spent most or all of their lives in large cities often wonder how anyone can live in a small town. Of course, I feel the same way about living in a large city!
One reason that I truly love living in small town USA is one that maybe people might overlook. And that is the service you get in restaurants. Two incidents recently really brought that home for me.
#1 I thought I had lost my cell phone holder that I keep in my purse (I use my phone a lot during my lunch hour). It was a really nice metal folding one too so I was really bummed! I went to one of my favorite quick service places near my work one day for lunch shortly afterwards. Not only did the person who cleaned my table my previous visit recognize it as mine right away, she had put my name on it and were just waiting for my next visit to give it back to me! And yes, several of the staff- including the order- know my usual order (chicken ceasar salad with a fountain beverage) by heart. And this is a place I go to maybe once every week to week and a half. I am not there every day.
#2 At another quick service place I visit less frequently than the first (}simply because it’s further from my workplace not only do they know me by name but we have a running joke! Even after living in this area for 18 years I’m still known as Pat’s wife to a lot of people. The owners (who usually work the lunch shift) make a big show out of calling Pat “Becky’s Husband”, even when I go without him, which means they know BOTH of our names.
How long would you have to go to the same Starbucks in LA before anything like this would happen? Would it ever happen?
Sure, I don’t have 3000 options for live entertainment every night. Sure, I have to drive a couple hours to get to some of my favorite stores.
But you can’t replace the connections you make with your fellow humans in a small town. And I wouldn’t give that up for anything.