To claim that you'll be back in just a few minutes because you only have to pick up milk and bread is foolish. Before one foot gets past the front registers, you've most likely exchanged a quick hello with three or four friends or acquaintances. Once in the actual process of heading for the bread aisle, the chances that you won't fall into a lengthy conversation with someone are greater than finding the winning lottery ticket lying on the floor. One friend of mine who lives no farther than a two-minute ride from my home sees me most often in the grocery store, and we usually stand chatting in the aisle until we've covered all the latest family news. We joke about this store being the community center, but the element of truth in that statement rings clear.
Important conversations travel the rows between fresh produce and the deli counter.
Last year, in searching for an artist's palette knife without having to go south an hour, I happened to stop in General Sales Hardware on Main Street in Clifton Forge. I found three, each a slightly different shape and size, and all on sale. That would be me. It actually means visiting the family that owns it. A trip into Country Garden Florist reveals owners, Clyde and Becky Helmintoller, working with gorgeous floral arrangements while daughter Nikki mans the register.