Phyllisophically: Enjoy your fellow travelers

For me, that was Phillips’ Store, a stone’s throw from my grandparents’ house on the outskirts of Hertford, North Carolina.

As kids, our parents would give us a quarter and set us free to buy whatever our hearts could want. And yes, back then 25 cents could bring quite a haul — penny candy galore, gum, a bottle drink and a Push-up, the orange sherbet encased in colorful paper so it never melted all over you on the walk home.

Those were the days, and we were in high cotton, as they say. We thought surely we were rich!

I can’t say for sure that these are a total thing of the past. But I do know that lots of folks are so busy and in such a hurry, they don’t dawdle or slow down to indulge small talk or idle conversations. I know this because I see it all too often, be it the grocery store, a shopping center or the gas station. Just look around and someone’s checking his watch, this one has a scowl on her face, while that one is craning his neck to see what’s causing the holdup.

Don’t get me wrong. I can be one of those impatient people.

But here’s what — I can also embrace the gift of slowing down.

In my car. In a line. And yes, in the Circle K.

That, my friends, is my version of the country store.

Ron and I go to “ours” often. Two actually, because if one doesn’t have our fountain drink of choice, typically the other does.

His son, Ryan, visited recently and overheard us talking when I came home with a drink. Ron asked, “Who’s working today?”

“Chloe,” I replied. “Oh, and Rhonda’s there, too!”

Ryan said, “You know their names?”

Why, yes, we do!

Miss Jean usually works in the mornings at the same Buck Swamp store. The other day as I walked through the door, she asked if I was OK — as she hadn’t seen me in a few days.

Whenever we stop at the one by the Highway Patrol, we catch up with Judy or the manager, Melissa.

And then there’s Herman, who I get to see sometimes on Saturday morning. He’s actually the one who brought up the country store and reminded me of the importance of happenstance.

I’ve long believed that none of us were put on this Earth to be alone. We were made for relationship.

In big and small ways. And none, by the way, are ever too small.

The funny thing is, in some ways we may not even find out everyone’s name, or ever talk about the deep stuff.

Just goes to show, it’s not about the time or place. It’s about the contact.

No matter how busy we all may get, let us never forget the value — and necessity — of connecting with others we meet on life’s journey.