Jukebox
"In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity." ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

As I was on my way home from the doctor's office and the grocery store this afternoon, I decided to quickly stop by the local drug store on main street. I have seen it several times in passing, but I've never had occasion to go in. I had heard that it's one of the few old fashioned drug stores left in the area; you know, the kind that has the nic-nacks for sale everywhere, and the soda jerk at the snack bar inside. I was looking to see if they carried something in particular, so I hadn't really been thinking about the snack bar and such.

The moment I walked inside, I thought that if I closed my eyes, I'd travel through time. There was a medicinal smell as I entered - not too strong. As I walked through the shelves full of figurines and nic-nacks toward the shelves with creams and bandages and cold remedies, I heard a jovial man talking with someone toward the back of the store. As my eyes located where he stood, I discovered that he was the snack bar man. Dressed normally for our day, but friendly like in the old movies. He was standing at the counter, across from a couple of snack bar patrons, telling jokes!

He'd come to the punch line of his joke and the people would chuckle and make a comment that would send him right into another anecdotal comic routine. I smiled to myself as I weaved my way through the shelves. They didn't appear to have what I was looking for, but I just wanted to listen to that man for a little longer. As I listened in to the end of another of his jokes, I turned and made my way out the door again.

Back on the street with cars and traffic lights and shops lining the street, I thought to myself how simply wonderful my little town really is. It's not the most rural in the area, and does have quite a bit of modern urbanness, if you will, but I drove the rest of the way home filled with appreciation for the little time warp shops that still dot my town and the opportunity I had to stroll down memory lane once more to the tune of the soda jerk's jokes.
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