I’m a big fan of traditional American main streets. I enjoy perusing the business districts of small towns across the country. Some are making a resurgence; some are in horrible disrepair.
Friendly Mill Street in Bristol, PA has been making a bit of a comeback since our last visit several years ago. There are hardly any closed up store fronts. Cafes, small antique shops, and other locally owned businesses populate the street near the Delaware River, and it is wonderful.
I feel online presences are desperately trying to replace the American village in the sense of becoming a new community. Online connections are wonderful. I have made lots of friends over the Internet, but the friendships really become a connection when we meet in person. I don’t think online interactions will ever replace in person connections where two humans have the opportunity to exchange energy in some way.
I hope before I end this life I’m able to see a real return to the town square, the community center, or the quaint main street. I feel like there’d be less screaming at one another and more positive energy exchanged.
