smalltown, USA

Main Street, Lebanon, Oregon

This afternoon I strolled Main Street, popping in and out of antique shops, thrift stores (Op Shops ... for you Aussies ... oo oo and guess what ... I bought a dress for $1.50), bookstores, and cafes. Business was slow so people were up for chatting.

What brought me to Lebanon? (working with a church for a week)

Where was I from? (hard to say, really. Germany? Louisville, Kentucky? the World? take your pick.)

What do I do? (I'm a grad student studying Womens Ministry)

At this point I would tell them a bit about my longterm research project (see profile) to which they responded enthusiastically. I even found a couple of books along the way to help in my efforts. One is a book published in the '80s by a Christian man bemoaning the effects of feminism on men. The other is the recently published For Men Only. I have its corresponding book For Women Only and plan to write up a review of each once I get home.

A couple of times before I left the shops the person I had been chatting with would stop me ...

"Would you pray for me?"

My eyes grew bright! "I would love to!"

Ha, now I understand Mike and his love for talking to strangers.