So, we’re driving down the Missouri freeway, and I see a billboard for a drive-in. It was hot and we needed a bit of liquid refreshment.
The town was cute, and all decked out patriotically (Emma tells me they are called bunting). We walked in to an overly air-conditioned 4x6 cramped space to both order and wait for our orders. It took me a good 10 minutes to realize that the three plates of food just sitting there on the counter were “sample” plates for people to see what the food looked like. Everything in the kitchen was in plain view. We ordered and waited… and watched .. and listened.
A very “small” couple was ahead of us. They began a dialogue with the cook summa waitress summa manager… and it began to sound like a Garrison Keillor vignette:
“Marge, when are you going to make your chili?”
“When this weather breaks! You going to the reception?”
“I don’t know.. is there going to be music?”
“They tried to get “White Lightening” but he is going to be out coon hunting.”
“You’re kidding.. couldn’t he give up one weekend of coons?”
I pinched myself. This was a real conversation, with real people, someplace in real America.
As we left town we noticed a billboard for a motel w/ “Zucuzzi’s.”
No comments:
Post a Comment