'Counter' culture

I remember the exact moment I ushered my son into manhood. He was 7 years old. We had breakfast at a counter. Eating at a counter in a diner is like a fast pass to breakfast. There’s no waiting. You just take a seat. You never have to flag down your waiter. Someone’s always there. You sit up high. You’re right up front with all the action. You meet people you wouldn’t have met in a booth. And besides, all the cool guys in movies eat at the counter. Sometimes, life needs a meal at a counter. That’s everything to me. What’s everything to you?

Telling stories

You’re with friends out late on a Friday or Saturday night at a 24-hour diner, or you’re with family for the holidays or even a funeral, and you’re all taking turns telling stories. Stories that start with “One time . . .” Stories everyone in the group has experienced together and you’re remembering the incident fondly together, laughing at what you all survived. Or they’re stories that teach you a little something you didn’t know about a family member. Funny stories. Sad stories. Silly stories. You have nowhere to go. Nothing to do. You don’t want it to end. That’s everything to me. What’s everything to you?