Welcome

Growing up, trips to see my grandmother in Homerville, GA often involved a stop at the Acme Pharmacy. Although some visits involved my grandmother picking up her medicine, that was not the real reason for going to the pharmacy every day. Squeezed in between the shelves of greeting cards and antacids in the back of the pharmacy, was a well-worn table with unmatched chairs. Each morning, the coffee klatch, which my grandmother was a proud member of, would assemble around that table to discuss the events of the day over a cup, or two, or three of pharmacy grade coffee. Stragglers who arrived late were often relegated to another table where the gossip was harder to hear. I learned at a young age that the early bird gets to hear the best stories.

Sometimes the topics discussed were serious. Sometimes the topics weren’t so serious. No matter the topic, as a young kid sitting at the grown-up table, I hung on every word as I sipped a Coca Cola straight from a glass bottle.

As a journalist for over 30 years, I have listened to many people tell their stories. Some might say I first honed my listening skills at the pharmacy. I find stories of all kinds fascinating and worth hearing. So, in honor of my late grandmother, grab your favorite hot or cold beverage and join us as we gather around the table to explore a variety of topics on the Acme Coffee Klatch Podcast.

-Ryan Anderson