Growing up in a small town, my cousin, Connie, and I would often walk from my house to the stores downtown on the square. This was about 6 or 7 blocks on one of the main roads through town. The only stern warning we ever got was to NEVER get in the car with a stranger. We would always start at the Hallmark store, looking at all the figurines and reading some of the cards then it was on to Hall’s Department store where they had a heat press and custom-made shirts, shorts and jackets with the school logo. Next door was the Hardware store, but they also had a whole section of household goods like dishes, towels and home décor. There was a fabric store and a variety store with basic supplies like pencils, notebooks, and makeup as well as knick-knacks and toys. The last stop was always Mary’s Drive In for a Dr. Pepper and sitting for a few minutes before starting back home.

One particular day, we were on our way back to the house and my cousin Gale (Connie’s sister) drove by and saw us. She stopped in front of the Hallmark store and asked if we would like a ride back to the house instead of walking. We said yes and got in.

Ya’ll – by the time we got home, my grandmother was standing in the driveway. In the short time it took to drive 6 blocks, someone had called to tell her we got in the car with a stranger! All was okay when she found out who that “stranger” was, but it definitely taught us Rule #1 of small towns – never do anything you don’t want your parents to find out about.