Way Back Then

One of the more recent luxuries afforded to the citizens of the DC area is grocery delivery.  You see, we're all very busy around here.  What with all these kids, soccer games, PTA meetings, yoga classes and such there's hardly a minute left in the day to do anything as time-consuming as grocery shopping.  So, a few years ago a couple of the grocery chains added on the service of home delivery.  For about $8 it's possible to get all your shopping done and delivered to your door without ever leaving your laptop.

My grandmother had the very same service in her small town forty years ago.  Oh yeah, and it was free.  I remember every once in awhile a lanky young man would appear at the back steps of her cedar-shingled house with a brown bag or two of groceries.  He would make his way into the kitchen and set the bags atop the blue and white Formica table.  The same young man might even sit a spell- perhaps long enough to drink down some fresh lemonade and converse a bit. The only money that was ever exchanged was a dollar bill or a handful of change given as a tip to the young delivery boy.  The rest of the groceries would be paid along with the rest of the household tab at the end of the month.

That's how they did it way back then.