Some friends of mine had the recent pleasure of seeing Advertiser columnist Lee Cataluna's "Folks You Meet in Longs" performed on stage.

Several of these friends are new to the Islands and would never have thought of Longs Drugs as a cultural icon of local living. But those of us who grew up here know the truth.

When I was growing up, we went to Longs for all our household needs. We picked up our kaki mochi for the weekend pa'ina, fireworks for the New Year's celebration and of course, school supplies for the next term. I remember my mom buying hair color and my dad buying Old Spice cologne.

Throughout the years, Longs has been there, a silent witness to our meandering lives and my own personal obsession.

When my wife and I first married, I shared a dark little secret that I had never told another soul: I rated the quality of the Longs Drugs stores based on smell. That's right, smell. While all Longs are a pleasure to the olfactory sense, some are more pleasing than others. Don't believe me? Take a big whiff the next time you enter the store. It is unmistakable.

After years of research, I have found the source of eau de Longs. Every place has its own unique aroma. Some are funky yet comforting, like my grandma's house (a bizarre mix of bath soap and mothballs), while others are just funky, like when my dad cooks harmha (da buggah is stink, but taste 'ono!).

Longs has its own unique fragrance that was hard to place until the day I bought my wife a rose bouquet from Rudy's Flowers in Mo'ili'ili. The lightbulb went off, and I knew in an instant that Longs smelled like flowers.

Interestingly, the source of the smell is not actually of plant origin; instead it emanates from the bath soap. I have even isolated the brand: none other than Cashmere Bouquet, which just so happens to be the same soap Grandma used to use.

Is it any wonder I find Longs so comforting?

Then my colleague shared the story about the time she ran into her ex-boyfriend's mother in the Kailua Longs. Her boyfriend of three years had dumped her and left her in the lurch. She was hurting pretty badly when, one day, she spotted her ex-boyfriend's mom in the snack aisle. Mother took one look at her near-daughter-in-law and said, "I am so sorry, my son is an idiot." The two held each other and sobbed right there next to the arare for what seemed like an eternity.

To be fair, it is not limited to Longs Drugs. For my wife, who grew up on the Big Island, it was KTA.

Hilo is very much the small town, and it was even more so when my wife was growing up. Each Sunday, my wife accompanied her mother to KTA and shopped for the upcoming week. They knew that they would run into family and friends, so they were sure to look their best.

I guess it is a little like wearing clean underwear when you go to the doctor. You just never know.

It is fascinating how a store can serve as stage for life's twists and turns, a witness to both tragedy and triumph. In some cases — like Longs Drugs, Rudy's Flowers or KTA for my family — the place becomes more than mere stage, it becomes the story itself, and sometimes, a member of the family.

Michael C. DeMattos is on the faculty at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa School of Social Work. He lives in Kane'ohe with his wife, daughter and two dogs.