Reading the sample community profile brought back memories for me. About 8 or so years ago, I spent a great deal of time in a town that seems very similar to Edison, Washington. Trevor B. Hall’s description of the Edison Café was so well written that he made me feel like I was an actual observer of the morning crowds that called this quaint place their café. My mental image of Julie, the owner, cook and general crowd pleaser brings to mind the kind of woman who makes everyone feel welcome in her presence, but also one that could keep you in line if need be.
One of the central themes of Mr. Hall’s essay was food. Food consumed as nourishment for the farmers, providing them the much needed fuel for their hard day’s work that lie ahead of the, and as the staple needed to bring groups like the “shakers and rollers” together for conversation, camaraderie and human contact that makes life much better than a solitary existence. This aspect is not exclusive to the Edison Café, but all over the world. In our society, we eat to celebrate, we eat to mourn, and we eat to pass the time. While that is not an ideal situation, that is what most have come to accept as normal, even anticipated.
I close my eyes after reading Mr. Hall’s words and can imagine the beauty of this part of the country. I imagine the taste of the overwhelming but delicious pancakes that Julie serves up to customers that are more like family. Most of all, I feel the warmth that surrounds those that are fortunate enough to have a place to go to every morning where someone welcomes you with a kind word and a smile.
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