This Is My New Jersey

This week, a well-loved business was demolished. The Chatterbox in Sussex County was around for years. It’s kitschy décor, 50s music, and great food made for a wonderful small business. When the owner retired, sadly, there was no one able to carry on this wonderful diner. As a result, the building was demolished and the property was sold… to Wawa.

Now I have nothing personally against Wawa. They employ a lot of people and I’m sure they are going to pay a lot of taxes for that location. But The Chatterbox was special. It was a great locally-owned business that hosted cruise nights and was a part of the community.

There was always an old car in the middle of the diner and I would always make sure to take a look as I went by. One day I saw a car that definitely grabbed my attention. A 1953 Buick Skylark convertible in dark blue. I turned around, parked, and walked in as if I was drawn right to the car. I just stood there and smiled. A server came up to me and politely reminded me not to touch the car. I smiled and told her “I know the drill. Hands behind your back, don’t touch, don’t lean. Your jeans might scrape the paint. Don’t step on the step sill.” She looked at me with a confused face. I then told her “I spent a good deal of my youth in this car.”

That Skylark belonged to a family that lived near my family growing up. We spent plenty of time going to car shows and long weekends in a caravan of several cars from North Jersey to locations up and down the east coast. That car brought back some wonderful memories.

Now, all the community has left are memories of a great diner and small business… and a Wawa.