Small Towns

So, I like sitting and just watching people. Seeing how they interact and evaluating numerous--usually random--things I pick up for the observations.

Today's observation?
How everyday people who work everday jobs seem to be unspoken counsilors for the average person that walks in.
Think about it.
Where would we be without the hairdresser we spill our guts to?
Or the person at the ice cream parlor that just seems to care so much about you to listen?
Or the bank teller that just seems to understand all lifes problems?

But, who are these people? And how do we even know we can trust them?
I mean, you don't usually know them except from the interaction you have with them whenever you go into their place of business, (unless you live in a reaaally small town, in which case you're all practically related...) and here we are, telling them our life stories, updating them on our families,--which can even include pictures--inviting them to our children's weddings, and so on.

I recently got a job as a bank teller. I had always seemed to have the people with the problems find me at my old job at a 50s style diner. Granted, I actually love hearing about people's lives--where they've been and where they're going--but today I just really got to thinking about it.

How does anyone know that I won't just go to the next person I see and tell them? Or bring it up as a dinner table conversation, "You'll never guess what a lady told me at work today" which ends up being someone my mom works with or something.
I mean, yeah, I work at a bank. So I guess there's a little bit more trust there then there may be at other jobs, but still. What about when I worked at the diner?

That's where you get the good stories.
The crazy ones about Bubba Joe's jail sentence, or how that one lady has three mother-in-law's since her husband's parents are divorced and his mom decided to become a lesbian.
Okay, so these are the redneck stories...but still.
Then at other places, you get the surprising stories...ones that no one would expect because it's about the people who put up the flawless fronts

But then again, you have a good mixture of the people who just like telling everyone everything about them.

What do you think would happen if you asked your hairdresser, teller, waitress how their day was? Or what's going on in their family, or anything like that?
Do you think they'd tell you?

I'd probably be really vague, but that's just me.
Unless I just needed to vent on someone, in which case strangers seem to be easier to trust

That's uncommon, though.
Well, unless it's the lady that I met at the diner I worked at who used to be a councilor...but, then again, it makes sense as to why I trust her...she has answers. She can explain why I seem to be going through certain things. She can pinpoint the reasons.
That's refreshing.
Not to mention free!

So, why pay for a councilor when you have hairdressers, tellers, and waitresses?
It's like a two for one deal!

They should start advertising that on commercials.
Could boost business...