McDonald’s dining area (1984).

Back then the design of each McDonald’s varied a lot from city to city, but many of them did have live plants and felt quite friendly compared to the soulless gray don’t-stay-here boxes extant now.

I remember there was one near the mall in Gainesville, Florida, that was particularly nice — better than many of the fancier restaurants around. I’m sure these days it’s like walking into the Greek version of hell if it’s still there at all.

In this country we like ugly. And claim that’s all that there can be. But I remember a different time and a different way to be, even for something so pedestrian as a McDonald’s.