Six Tables, No Phones

Six tables full of people chatted and laughed. But something felt different to me, slower. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Until I picked up my phone …

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“The world needs more of this right now,” said the host of the farmers’ market in Palmyra, Nebraska, this past Saturday. I was there for a book signing.

“Of what?”

She swept her hand over my book table. “This … books about faith.”

“That’s nice to hear. Thank you.”

Honestly, you never know how you’re going to be received in a non-churchy environment when you’re selling Christian books, so that was a pleasant start to my experience in the village of 500-plus.

I didn’t realize it, but the whole village was celebrating Old Settlers Picnic, which included a parade, a color run, twenty garage sales, a bouncy house, a used book sale, bingo at the park, a craft fair, a farmers’ market, a sand volleyball tournament, a pedal tractor pull, a street dance and wine tasting. It all made for a festive tone.

The first man who stopped by my table after we opened engaged in some small-town politics (not in the political sense, but more in the town business sort of way), of which I had no idea what he was referencing but I appreciated his passion. And I understand how it feels to be resistant to change. 

As I was settling in at my book table, I spotted a black cat creeping across someone’s yard nearby. A couple of minutes later, chickens clucked, which told me that maybe they got a visit from the cat. It also told me I wasn’t in the big city anymore. 

As someone who has been looking for ways to escape the big city (half a million people), it was a welcome respite. So was the rest of my experience. 

The booth next to me was selling homemade salsa. I tried a sample, and it was so good. Of course, I ended up taking a jar home. 

Another booth featured art. One had miscellaneous items for sale, including a framed, signed Rusty Wallace picture, and if you know me, that lead to a conversation about NASCAR. And still another booth sold meat. 

Sadly, the farmers who planned to sell their goods there weren’t able to because a hail storm came through the area last week and destroyed their crops. 

After the book signing, I stopped at Copper Moon Steakhouse for lunch – the only restaurant in town, unless you count the pizza counter inside the gas station. 

As I approached Copper Moon, I spotted a sign on the front door that invited patrons to head around the back to play corn hole with one another. If it hadn’t been nearly 10,000 degrees outside, I might have taken them up on their offer.

Once I was inside, college baseball played on TVs overhead. The table to my right was cheering for Arkansas to defeat North Carolina in Game 1 of the super regional. 

“Ninety-two percent of the teams that win game one go on to win the series,” said a man to his family. 

I’m sure he was thrilled when his Razorbacks swept North Carolina to earn a spot in the College World Series.

Six tables full of people chatted and laughed. But something felt different to me, slower. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Until I picked up my phone … that’s when I realized that not a single person was on his or her phone. Everyone was engaged in conversation with one another. 

It’s crazy how odd that felt. And refreshing. 

And while a young person finally broke the pattern when he walked in with his phone in hand, it still wasn’t the norm. The waitress, who was busy, never checked her phone once. And none of the adults in the place did either.

At one point, I actually felt my breathing slow down. 

I followed everyone’s lead. I turned off my ringer and set my phone face down on the table.

The food was so good. I ordered a sirloin steak with a baked potato and a salad. My mouth is watering just thinking about it now. 

I almost hated to leave the village. I lingered for a while to shoot a few pictures, including one of the post office that’s about the size of a tiny house, and one of the baseball field with the water tower in the background (cue the song Water Tower Town by Scotty McCreery).

As I drove home, I realized I went to Palmyra for a book signing and ended up going on a retreat instead – one I really needed. And I’m already looking forward to attending again next year.

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Here are some tidbits you might find interesting this week:

• Zoinks! Did you know you can stay the night in a re-creation of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine? Like, sign me up!

• “A good character is the best tombstone. Those who loved you and were helped by you will remember you when forget-me-nots have withered. Carve your name on hearts, not on marble.” -Charles Spurgeon

• If you are a notebook nerd like me, you’ll want to check out the Log & Jotter website. You can subscribe to receive a limited-edition designed notebook every month, shipped to your door for $5 (including shipping if you live in the United States).

• Writer friends, if you’re having a hard time hitting your daily word count goals, this cafe is for you: This Cafe Won't Let Writers Leave Until They Hit Their Deadlines.

• “Coming before God in quietness and waiting upon Him in silence can accomplish more than days of feverish activity.” -A.W. Tozer

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If you enjoy this free weekly newsletter, consider becoming a paying subscriber for $5 per month. Paying subscribers also receive a monthly, long-form essay that goes deeper than the weekly posts do. This month, you’ll receive an essay about the joy (and philosophy) of being a regular somewhere.

Also, stop by Lee’s website and check out his books.