Have you noticed? First I ran into that friend at the grocery store, who invited me to the lovely autumn dinner. Then I ran into another couple I'd recently met at Inoz', and they insisted I join them at their table. I ran into quite a few people I knew at the last Wimberly Valley Art League opening, and I've just realized that the staff at several local shops and eateries are starting to recognize me and know my preferences. In fact, when my sister and I stepped into Brocante recently, the saleslady said "Hey, I know you. You're the gal with the blog!" Wow. It's almost as if...well, as if I were a "local" or something! That's a feeling I haven't had since I was a kid in Dallas, going to the same high school my Dad went to, and the same church my grandparents went to. To tell you the truth, I hadn't realized just how much I've missed that feeling - the feeling of actually belonging somewhere.
Who knows? Maybe fifteen or twenty years from now, people will be pointing me out over in my special corner at Mima's, as I sit hunched over my crossword puzzle, and they'll say something to their out-of-town visitors like "Oh, her? Why, she's just one of our colorful local characters. Everyone calls her Hill Country Hippie, but I have no idea why."
