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Observed In a Small Town

It was Friday night in small town, USA. The convenience store clerk was outside in the parking lot, arguing with her boyfriend. Instant recognition, one person is both clingy and aggressive, perhaps slightly inebriated, and jealous or insecure or having some sort of emotional semi-crisis. The other one has responsibilities and places to be, yet still wants to calm the first person down easy, get free for the moment while not burning the bridge just yet. I felt like telling her to drop that loser, but who knows? Inside the store, three people are talking in a back corner, laughing and leaning against a freezer and the store walls. The now-returned clerk greets the first person in the check-out line, a grizzled older man, wizened, almost, leathery skin over an impression of inner strength still, despite many hard years gone past. An 18-pack of beer and a carton of cigarettes and he's out the door, happy as a clam. Next is an urgent young woman, who just asks, "Where's your restroom?" The clerk points to the back corner where the three people are laughing up a storm. Off the young woman goes, with all possible speed. Then, a kicking and a pounding, doorknob rattling. "Hey, hey - there's somebody in there!" The three people are trying to set the young woman straight, but she's on a mission, and kicks the door again. From inside the room, another young woman's voice, not too pleased from the sound of it. She appears in a minute or so. Must be a party somewhere nearby - she's got plastic devil horns and a cat face painted on. With Miss Urgency, she exchanges epithets and imprecations, and then she too is out the door. There is no bar in this town.

Copyright © | Year Posted 2016




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Date: 3/13/2017 12:14:00 AM
A fascinating peek into a towns heartbeat where the pulse is ever changing yet the characters remain the same. This is amazing, you have captured the emotions with a realism that brings forth the sadness as well as the outrageous. Incredibly moving writing :-) blessings, lynn
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Date: 12/4/2016 2:39:00 AM
Americana. : )
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Doug Vinson
Date: 12/4/2016 8:46:00 AM
Yeah, I think so - if we want to laugh or cry, all we have to do is look around...
Date: 11/29/2016 7:02:00 PM
Doug: I think I grew up in that town or one just like it. It didn't have a convenience store just Ernie's Tap but a similar mix of clientele and confusion. Thanks for sharing that great story with all of us at the Soup. oldbuck
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Doug Vinson
Date: 11/29/2016 8:38:00 PM
"Ernie's Tap" - I love it, Old buck. 'Bar society' almost always has its own pathologies, but I confess to being fascinated with it, though it can be boring when you're the sober one. A cross-section of humanity, laid bare, all the pathos and bathos on display.

Book: Shattered Sighs