“I walked into our local Hannaford to gather some food for dinner. I only needed a couple of items so I figured I would be in and out in a matter of minutes.

While I was browsing through the fruit and vegetable section, a woman approached me and asked what the difference was between scallions and green onions. My face immediately lit up and I let out a loud chuckle. She looked back at me with a confused expression on her face. I am sure she thought I was laughing at her for not knowing the difference. I told her that I had this same problem a few weeks ago when I was trying to find the ingredients for an Asian dish I really liked.

We both had a good laugh as others in the area started to chime in on the conversation. What was supposed to be a quick, boring trip to the market ended up turning into a fun gathering with a rich discussion on food and culture and I loved every minute of it.

These moments occur for me more often than not here in Houlton and, while it may seem like an insignificant event to some, for me it fosters a much-needed connection with people that I often missed while living in a larger town or a city.”