Yesterday I made a classic mistake.
I said the words every small-town person eventually regrets:
“I’m just running to town real quick.”
Now if you live in a big city, a quick trip to town probably means you go to the store, get what you need, and come home.
But in a small town, that’s not how it works.
A trip to town is not an errand.
It is an event.
It started out simple enough. I needed one thing. Just one. I told myself I’d be in and out in fifteen minutes.
Fifteen minutes later I was still in the parking lot.
Because the first thing that happened was I saw someone I knew.
Now in a small town you don’t just wave and keep walking. That would be rude. So we stopped and talked for a minute, which naturally turned into ten minutes. We covered everyone’s health, the weather, someone’s garden, and whether the rain last week was good for the hay.
Then I finally made it inside the store.
That’s when I ran into someone else I knew.
This conversation began with, “How have you been?” and somehow ended with updates on three families, a church event, and someone’s grandson who recently learned to ride a bike.
By the time we finished talking, I couldn’t even remember what I came to the store for.
I wandered the aisles trying to jog my memory. I picked up two things I didn’t need, one thing that looked useful, and finally remembered the original item about halfway to the checkout.
Victory.
Or so I thought.
Because the checkout line is where the real socializing happens.
The cashier asked how my week was going. The lady behind me joined the conversation. Before long we were discussing Wednesday night church, the weather again, and the fact that groceries cost more than they did when we were young.
Eventually I made it back to the car.
I looked at the clock.
One hour had passed.
One hour.
For one item.
But the funny thing is, I didn’t mind.
Because somewhere between the parking lot conversation, the aisle updates, and the checkout chat, I got reminded of something you don’t always get in bigger places.
In a small town, errands come with people.
You check on each other. You hear news about families. You laugh a little. Sometimes you promise to pray for someone before you even make it to the produce section.
So yes, my quick trip to town took an hour.
But I came home with my groceries, a handful of good conversations, and enough town news to last until Sunday.
And honestly?
That’s not a bad trade at all.
Much Love,
Beth
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