Cooper TX 75432

Remember that phrase I came across a while ago - "Strangers are just friends
you haven't met yet?"

I'm telling you that's the truth and here's why:

Yesterday I was at this event in Singapore, and it wasn't going all that
well.  Louise, this Australian lady, sort of saddled up next to me to gritch a little
about the whole thing.

Louise started to tell me about this trip she and her husband made across the
US in the winter of 2008. She's a photographer, and she's working on a book
documenting old signs across the US. She described the trip from California
then to Santa Fe, and as she got to Texas, my heart jumped a little. I
couldn't wait to hear where she'd been.

She called out Lubbock. And that made me happy.

Then Ralls, which reminded me of Uncle Clint and going to the John Deere
house for tractor parts.

I told she should've stopped in Benjamin to see the great Wyman Meinzer,
official photog for the state. She liked Vera and Seymour. I forgot to ask her if she went to the Dairy Queen in Seymour. It's the best in the state, and they even have a conference room.

I wished she had seen Archer City, where The Last Picture Show was shot. 

She was disappointed in Wichita Falls, but she didn't go to the Pioneer
Restaurant. Those juke boxes on each table would've made all the difference.

Louise liked Fort Worth, but bypassed Dallas. I told her that was okay. And
Paris. She liked Paris. And then do you know what she said to me?

"You know, my favorite place of all - Cooper."

I said, "Excuse me. What did you say?

"Cooper. It's this great little town. It's just really cozy. And it feels like it's full of nice people," she said.

"Yeah, I know. It's my hometown." (Note to readers: Cooper's population is just over 2,000 people. We have a flashing light, a Dollar General Store and a Dairy Queen.)

She said it was the coldest day she's ever seen. And she was on the square
taking photos and this nice lady came out of one of the stores and brought
her in to make her hot chocolate.

"Was it Mabel?" I asked.

It was.

And then Louise went on to rave about how she enjoyed her time there and how Mabel took care of her at Miller's Pharmacy.

That's Mabel's way. She's been serving up ice cream and homemade fountain drinks for over 50 years. She's never met a stranger. She never forgets anyone, and I've never seen her without a smile on her face.

So who would've guessed that I would be in Singapore talking to Australian about Cooper?

Ain't it grand? That's what I love about life and meeting people and just being nice.

It's also why I love Coopertown.