The Old Waterin Hole....With A New Age Attitude

I can remember when I was a child and my Uncle would take me up to his favorite little bar with him. I loved the smell of stale beer and cigarettes, peanuts on the floor and every old timer in there wanted to hand me a dollar or two. It was a tiny place where everybody knew everyone else by name and you felt safe.

Nowadays these little gems are few and far between. In a world overrun by large, corporate owed bars that are the size of football stadiums, finding a hole in the wall waterin hole is considered a real accomplishment. These are not for the meat-seekers, that is, those who are out looking to get laid. These are not for the men who want to act like cavemen and fight to prove their prowess. And they are not for the women looking to have drinks bought for them all night long.

An old waterin hole is where you go to talk to friends, shoot pool, relax and avoid the social interactions forced upon you at the larger bars. Do we have a good time...yes. Do we get a little crazy on a Friday night...hell yes! The difference being that we know everyone we are with, we know that no one will try to take advantage of us and that someone will drive us home at the end of the night if we need. Fights almost never happen unless an outsider enters and is rude or inconsiderate.

The days of old have shifted slightly though in the case of women in the bars. When my Uncle would take me you would rarely see a woman there, muchless a group of women unless there were men there with them. But times have changed and women have invaded man's secret hiding place and in some cases even taken them over (although we are always willing to share).

In the end I will take my little home away from home and keep it safe from the invasion of the meat-seekers and cavemen of the corporate bars. It's mine I say and you can't have it. I just hope there are still some left when my children are old enough to enjoy them.

~Darlin~