# No title yet, suggestions appreciated.  Life in a small town story



## Plasticweld (Apr 29, 2019)

Deleted by  author, permission denied for use


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## Kevin (Apr 29, 2019)

Talking to Strangers
Dont talk to Strangers.. most of the time
The Old man and what he sees (play on The old man the sea)


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## midnightpoet (Apr 29, 2019)

I liked it, I may have missed something but the punctuation seems fine.  Your second paragraph though - how do you know what he was since he was a stranger?  One thing I've always done is not make erroneous assumptions: however, if you are going to make one - you might tell us why you think that.  Basically though, I think it would best to eliminate the paragraph. I've found that sitting on a bench a Walmart attracts people, and have often struck up a conversation that way.  Some will even tell me part of their life story.  Probably because I look old and harmless.


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## ppsage (Apr 29, 2019)

Pretty sure it should be a colon in the first sentence.


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## Plasticweld (Apr 29, 2019)

My town is one main st. I was a town councilman here for years. Everyone here not only knows you, they know your parents and your grand parents, who your related and your friends. 

This is the whole town, the street is full, it is the Fall Festival.

Some body new stands out when they do something like lock the car when they get out of it.  If you were to look into all of the cars at any of the diners here, the locals all have the keys in ignition.  Hit the lock option on your key fob as you exit, it tells the entire town here, you are a stranger.


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## midnightpoet (Apr 29, 2019)

I grew up in a small town and everyone knew everyone (1950's)but it didn't have a snowball's chance of staying that way - right between Dallas and Ft. Worth, burgeoning metroplex.  Mother's family were pioneers, arrived in the 1870's.


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## Plasticweld (Apr 29, 2019)

This town used to be bigger, in the 60s and early 70s there was a place called Shepard Niles that built cranes. It employed about 600 people.  The Main Street used to be full of stores, now more than half are empty.  Up-State NY used to be a place where things were built, it was the home of La France, Ann Page, Ingersoll Rand and many other places that specialized in machine work. The shift in the economy and shift to buying things from China changed all that.  I know that when my son graduated high school the senior class was less than 70.   Today we are a tourist town.  The Watkins Glen Race Track, the Gorge and the wineries are the main draws to the town.  During Nascar or the fall, the area is packed with tourists, during the non tourist seasons the place is pretty empty.  The next big thing coming here will be the 50th anniversary of Woodstock.


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## ppsage (Apr 30, 2019)

> The look of exasperation on his face said it all: clenched jaw, thousand yard stare. It was obvious his mind was someplace else, and it was not a good place.


?


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## -xXx- (Apr 30, 2019)

-Key of G-
_*i think it will take about 5 separate readings*
*before I have any useful feedback*
*but the above title woke me*
*on bbc time*_

on an aside,
i have been seriously
considering a relocation
to new york state.
this looks like a potential match
worth further research.


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## Bard_Daniel (Apr 30, 2019)

I think you've really captured a golden moment here with your non-fiction piece. Maybe the town could serve as inspiration for the title? Or, if you humor me, maybe you could take the line of, "Yes, sir" etc and incorporate it.

As far as the style goes, besides the colon, I think it works and reads fluidly. Although I am not certain that, "thousand-yard stare", as that is a military term (as far as I've known) is best suited.

A great piece! Impressive.


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## -xXx- (May 1, 2019)

tap.
still thinkin'.



---append
caught a few minor typo/format things.
will focus with different equipment
access.


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