Life in the Slow Lane

Country life is definitely the life for me. It's so friendly and personal, because it's small. Life in big cities can be socially exciting but stressful, too, especially when you have a huge dog in a 1-bedroom apartment. The suburbs can be isolating, especially when you hit middle age and the kids are teenagers and then gone.

Today, I went to the post office (hi, postman Jack), the bank, (where they all ask me about my dog), the supermarket, where I often meet other locals I know, and the pharmacy where, unfortunately they know me so well, they go straight for my medications. That used to happen sometimes in Rhode Island, never in Manhattan, where the pharmacy staff was so stressed, they could be curt or even rude.

And I can walk to all these places. Later in the day I went to the local beauty salon where I got a great haircut and some highlights for $60. The same services in RI would be double, and in Manhattan, triple. I left my reading glasses there and my stylist, who knew I was going to the market (again), walked over and handed me my glasses. Plus, she left a message on my phone saying if she didn't find me in town, she'd drive by and drop them off.

I hope this friendliness is rubbing off on me.